What Is Height of a Tree in Data Structure McQ?

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Heather Bennett

The height of a tree is an important concept in data structures. It represents the maximum number of edges between the root node and any leaf node in the tree. In simpler terms, it measures the depth or level of a tree.

Understanding Trees

In data structures, trees are hierarchical structures composed of nodes. Each node may have zero or more child nodes, except for the root node which has no parent.

The topmost node is called the root, and each child node can have its own set of child nodes. This creates a branching structure similar to that of a real-life tree.

Importance of Height

The height of a tree is crucial because it helps determine the efficiency and performance of various tree-based algorithms and operations. Additionally, it plays a significant role in understanding the overall structure and complexity of a tree.

Calculating Tree Height

To calculate the height of a tree, we need to consider two cases:

  • If the tree is empty (i.e., it has no nodes), its height is considered as -1.
  • If the tree is not empty, we recursively calculate the height for each subtree and choose the maximum value among them.

We traverse through each level of the tree until we reach its leaf nodes. By comparing and choosing the maximum height from each subtree, we can determine the overall height of the entire tree.

Visual Representation:

Example:

      A
    / | \
   B  C  D
        / \
       E   F
            \
             G
  • The height from node A to its leaf nodes: A-B or A-C or A-D-E or A-D-F-G (maximum number of edges).
  • The height from node B to its leaf nodes: B (since it is a leaf node).
  • The height from node C to its leaf nodes: C (since it is a leaf node).
  • The height from node D to its leaf nodes: D-E or D-F-G (maximum number of edges).
  • The height from node E to its leaf nodes: E (since it is a leaf node).
  • The height from node F to its leaf nodes: F-G (maximum number of edges).
  • The height from node G to its leaf nodes: G (since it is a leaf node).

In this example, the maximum height is achieved by traversing the path A-D-F-G, which results in a tree height of 3.

Conclusion

The height of a tree in data structure McQ measures the maximum number of edges between the root and any leaf node. It plays a crucial role in determining the efficiency and complexity of various tree-based algorithms. By understanding how to calculate the height, we can gain insights into the overall structure and performance of trees.

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