
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
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- Basics of Algorithms
- DAA - Introduction
- DAA - Analysis of Algorithms
- DAA - Methodology of Analysis
- Asymptotic Notations & Apriori Analysis
- Time Complexity
- Master’s Theorem
- DAA - Space Complexities
- Divide & Conquer
- DAA - Divide & Conquer
- DAA - Max-Min Problem
- DAA - Merge Sort
- DAA - Binary Search
- Strassen’s Matrix Multiplication
- Karatsuba Algorithm
- Towers of Hanoi
- Greedy Algorithms
- DAA - Greedy Method
- Travelling Salesman Problem
- Prim's Minimal Spanning Tree
- Kruskal’s Minimal Spanning Tree
- Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm
- Map Colouring Algorithm
- DAA - Fractional Knapsack
- DAA - Job Sequencing with Deadline
- DAA - Optimal Merge Pattern
- Dynamic Programming
- DAA - Dynamic Programming
- Matrix Chain Multiplication
- Floyd Warshall Algorithm
- DAA - 0-1 Knapsack
- Longest Common Subsequence
- Travelling Salesman Problem | Dynamic Programming
- Randomized Algorithms
- Randomized Algorithms
- Randomized Quick Sort
- Karger’s Minimum Cut
- Fisher-Yates Shuffle
- Approximation Algorithms
- Approximation Algorithms
- Vertex Cover Problem
- Set Cover Problem
- Travelling Salesperson Approximation Algorithm
- Graph Theory
- DAA - Spanning Tree
- DAA - Shortest Paths
- DAA - Multistage Graph
- Optimal Cost Binary Search Trees
- Heap Algorithms
- DAA - Binary Heap
- DAA - Insert Method
- DAA - Heapify Method
- DAA - Extract Method
- Sorting Techniques
- DAA - Bubble Sort
- DAA - Insertion Sort
- DAA - Selection Sort
- DAA - Shell Sort
- DAA - Heap Sort
- DAA - Bucket Sort
- DAA - Counting Sort
- DAA - Radix Sort
- Searching Techniques
- Searching Techniques Introduction
- DAA - Linear Search
- DAA - Binary Search
- DAA - Interpolation Search
- DAA - Jump Search
- DAA - Exponential Search
- DAA - Fibonacci Search
- DAA - Sublist Search
- Complexity Theory
- Deterministic vs. Nondeterministic Computations
- DAA - Max Cliques
- DAA - Vertex Cover
- DAA - P and NP Class
- DAA - Cook’s Theorem
- NP Hard & NP-Complete Classes
- DAA - Hill Climbing Algorithm
- DAA Useful Resources
- DAA - Quick Guide
- DAA - Useful Resources
- DAA - Discussion
Design and Analysis Optimal Merge Pattern
Merge a set of sorted files of different length into a single sorted file. We need to find an optimal solution, where the resultant file will be generated in minimum time.
If the number of sorted files are given, there are many ways to merge them into a single sorted file. This merge can be performed pair wise. Hence, this type of merging is called as 2-way merge patterns.
As, different pairings require different amounts of time, in this strategy we want to determine an optimal way of merging many files together. At each step, two shortest sequences are merged.
To merge a p-record file and a q-record file requires possibly p + q record moves, the obvious choice being, merge the two smallest files together at each step.
Two-way merge patterns can be represented by binary merge trees. Let us consider a set of n sorted files {f1, f2, f3, …, fn}. Initially, each element of this is considered as a single node binary tree. To find this optimal solution, the following algorithm is used.
Algorithm: TREE (n) for i := 1 to n – 1 do declare new node node.leftchild := least (list) node.rightchild := least (list) node.weight) := ((node.leftchild).weight) + ((node.rightchild).weight) insert (list, node); return least (list);
At the end of this algorithm, the weight of the root node represents the optimal cost.
Example
Let us consider the given files, f1, f2, f3, f4 and f5 with 20, 30, 10, 5 and 30 number of elements respectively.
If merge operations are performed according to the provided sequence, then
M1 = merge f1 and f2 => 20 + 30 = 50
M2 = merge M1 and f3 => 50 + 10 = 60
M3 = merge M2 and f4 => 60 + 5 = 65
M4 = merge M3 and f5 => 65 + 30 = 95
Hence, the total number of operations is
50 + 60 + 65 + 95 = 270
Now, the question arises is there any better solution?
Sorting the numbers according to their size in an ascending order, we get the following sequence −
f4, f3, f1, f2, f5
Hence, merge operations can be performed on this sequence
M1 = merge f4 and f3 => 5 + 10 = 15
M2 = merge M1 and f1 => 15 + 20 = 35
M3 = merge M2 and f2 => 35 + 30 = 65
M4 = merge M3 and f5 => 65 + 30 = 95
Therefore, the total number of operations is
15 + 35 + 65 + 95 = 210
Obviously, this is better than the previous one.
In this context, we are now going to solve the problem using this algorithm.
Initial Set

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Hence, the solution takes 15 + 35 + 60 + 95 = 205 number of comparisons.