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Heap

Tree-based data structure used for priority queues and heapsort.

priority queue structure heap tree

In computer science, a heap is a specialized tree-based data structure that satisfies the heap property: in a min-heap, the value of each node is greater than or equal to the value of its parent; in a max-heap, the value of each node is less than or equal to the value of its parent. Heaps are commonly used for priority queues and heapsort algorithms.

Etymology

Heap comes from a 1962 paper by Robert Tarjan.

Explain Like I’m 5

A heap is like a special tree that helps you quickly find the biggest or smallest item, useful for things like organizing tasks by priority.

Fun Facts

Heaps are used in many computer algorithms
They can be either min-heaps or max-heaps
The term 'heap' is unrelated to a literal pile of something

FAQ

What is a heap? A tree-based data structure
What is it used for? Priority queues and heapsort
How does it work? It maintains a partial ordering

Hypernyms — Broader Categories

data structure tree

Hyponyms — Specific Examples

min-heap max-heap

Holonyms — Wholes or Groups

priority queue heapsort

Indexes

algorithm computer science term data structure

Built by Tim Jones