Theory Meets Practice for Bit Vectors Supporting Rank and Select
Data Structures and Algorithms
2025-09-23 v1
Abstract
Bit vectors with support for fast rank and select are a fundamental building block for compressed data structures. We close a gap between theory and practice by analyzing an important part of the design space and experimentally evaluating a sweet spot. The result is the first implementation of a rank and select data structure for bit vectors with worst-case constant query time, good practical performance, and a space-overhead of just 0.78%, i.e., between and less than previous implementations.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.17819,
title = {Theory Meets Practice for Bit Vectors Supporting Rank and Select},
author = {Florian Kurpicz and Niccolò Rigi-Luperti and Peter Sanders},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.17819},
year = {2025}
}