Vertical Traversal using Brute Force

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Given a Binary Tree, the task is to find its vertical traversal starting from the leftmost level to the rightmost level.
Note that if multiple nodes at same level pass through a vertical line, they should be printed as they appear in the level order traversal of the tree.

Examples:

Input:

Output: [[4], [2], [1, 5, 6], [3, 8], [7], [9]]
Explanation: The below image shows the horizontal distances used to print vertical traversal starting from the leftmost level to the rightmost level.

Approach:

The idea is to traverse the tree once and get the minimum and maximum horizontal distance with respect to root. For the tree shown above, minimum distance is -2 (for node with value 4) and maximum distance is 3 (For node with value 9).
Once we have maximum and minimum distances from root, we iterate for each vertical line at distance minimum to maximum from root, and for each vertical line traverse the tree and print the nodes which lie on that vertical line.

C++

//Driver Code Starts
// C++ code of Vertical Traversal using Brute Force
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

class Node {
public:
    int data;
    Node* left;
    Node* right;

    Node(int x) {
        data = x;
        left = nullptr;
        right = nullptr;
    }
};
//Driver Code Ends


// A utility function to find min and max 
// distances with respect to root.
void findMinMax(Node* node, int& min, int& max, int hd) {
  
    // Base case
    if (node == nullptr) return;

    // Update min and max
    if (hd < min) min = hd;
    else if (hd > max) max = hd;

    // Recur for left and right subtrees
    findMinMax(node->left, min, max, hd - 1);
    findMinMax(node->right, min, max, hd + 1);
}

// A utility function to collect all 
// nodes on a given vertical line_no.
// hd is horizontal distance of current node with respect to root.
void collectVerticalLine(Node* node, int line, 
                         int hd, vector<int>& res) {
    // Base case
    if (node == nullptr) return;

    // If this node is on the given vertical line
    if (hd == line)
        res.push_back(node->data);

    // Recur for left and right subtrees
    collectVerticalLine(node->left, line, hd - 1, res);
    collectVerticalLine(node->right, line, hd + 1, res);
}

// The main function that returns a 
// vector of nodes in vertical order
vector<vector<int>> verticalOrder(Node* root) {
    vector<vector<int>> res;

    // Find min and max distances with 
    // respect to root
    int min = 0, max = 0;
    findMinMax(root, min, max, 0);

    // Iterate through all possible vertical
    // lines from leftmost to rightmost
    for (int line = min; line <= max; line++) {
        vector<int> verticalNodes;
        collectVerticalLine(root, line, 0, verticalNodes);
        res.push_back(verticalNodes);
    }

    return res;
}


//Driver Code Starts
int main() {
  
    // Create binary tree
    //            1
    //          /   \
    //         2     3
    //        / \   / \
    //       4   5 6   7
    //              \   \
    //               8   9

    Node* root = new Node(1);
    root->left = new Node(2);
    root->right = new Node(3);
    root->left->left = new Node(4);
    root->left->right = new Node(5);
    root->right->left = new Node(6);
    root->right->right = new Node(7);
    root->right->left->right = new Node(8);
    root->right->right->right = new Node(9);

    vector<vector<int>> res = verticalOrder(root);

    // Print grouped vertical nodes
    for (vector<int> group : res) {
        cout << "[ ";
        for (int val : group) 
            cout << val << " ";
        cout << "] ";
    }
    cout << endl;

    return 0;
}

//Driver Code Ends

Java

//Driver Code Starts
// Java code of Vertical Traversal using Brute Force
import java.util.ArrayList;

class Node {
    int data;
    Node left, right;

    Node(int x) {
        data = x;
        left = null;
        right = null;
    }
}

class GfG {
//Driver Code Ends


    // A utility function to find min and max 
    // distances with respect to root.
    static void findMinMax(Node node, int[] minMax, int hd) {
      
        // Base case
        if (node == null) return;

        // Update min and max
        if (hd < minMax[0]) minMax[0] = hd;
        else if (hd > minMax[1]) minMax[1] = hd;

        // Recur for left and right subtrees
        findMinMax(node.left, minMax, hd - 1);
        findMinMax(node.right, minMax, hd + 1);
    }

    // A utility function to collect all 
    // nodes on a given vertical line_no.
    static void collectVerticalLine(Node node, int lineNo, 
                                    int hd, ArrayList<Integer> res) {
        // Base case
        if (node == null) return;

        // If this node is on the given vertical line
        if (hd == lineNo) res.add(node.data);

        // Recur for left and right subtrees
        collectVerticalLine(node.left, lineNo, hd - 1, res);
        collectVerticalLine(node.right, lineNo, hd + 1, res);
    }

    // The main function that returns an ArrayList of ArrayLists
    // representing vertical order traversal
    static ArrayList<ArrayList<Integer>> verticalOrder(Node root) {
        ArrayList<ArrayList<Integer>> res = new ArrayList<>();

        // Find min and max distances with respect to root
        int[] minMax = new int[]{0, 0};
        findMinMax(root, minMax, 0);

        // Iterate through all possible vertical 
        // lines from leftmost to rightmost
        for (int lineNo = minMax[0]; lineNo <= minMax[1]; lineNo++) {
            ArrayList<Integer> verticalNodes = new ArrayList<>();
            collectVerticalLine(root, lineNo, 0, verticalNodes);
            res.add(verticalNodes);
        }

        return res;
    }


//Driver Code Starts
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      
        // Create binary tree
        //            1
        //          /   \
        //         2     3
        //        / \   / \
        //       4   5 6   7
        //              \   \
        //               8   9

        Node root = new Node(1);
        root.left = new Node(2);
        root.right = new Node(3);
        root.left.left = new Node(4);
        root.left.right = new Node(5);
        root.right.left = new Node(6);
        root.right.right = new Node(7);
        root.right.left.right = new Node(8);
        root.right.right.right = new Node(9);

        ArrayList<ArrayList<Integer>> res = verticalOrder(root);

        // Print grouped vertical nodes
        for (ArrayList<Integer> group : res) {
            System.out.print("[ ");
            for (int val : group) {
                System.out.print(val + " ");
            }
            System.out.print("] ");
        }
        System.out.println();
    }
}

//Driver Code Ends

Python

#Driver Code Starts
# Python code of Vertical Traversal 
# using Brute Force

class Node:
    def __init__(self, x):
        self.data = x
        self.left = None
        self.right = None
#Driver Code Ends


# A utility function to find min and max
# distances with respect to root.
def findMinMax(node, minMax, hd):
    if node is None:
        return

    # Update min and max
    if hd < minMax[0]:
        minMax[0] = hd
    elif hd > minMax[1]:
        minMax[1] = hd

    # Recur for left and right subtrees
    findMinMax(node.left, minMax, hd - 1)
    findMinMax(node.right, minMax, hd + 1)

# A utility function to collect all 
# nodes on a given vertical line_no.
def collectVerticalLine(node, lineNo, hd, res):
    if node is None:
        return

    # If this node is on the given vertical line
    if hd == lineNo:
        res.append(node.data)

    # Recur for left and right subtrees
    collectVerticalLine(node.left, lineNo, hd - 1, res)
    collectVerticalLine(node.right, lineNo, hd + 1, res)

# The main function that returns a list of lists
# of nodes in vertical order
def verticalOrder(root):
    res = []

    # Find min and max distances with respect to root
    minMax = [0, 0]
    findMinMax(root, minMax, 0)

    # Iterate through all possible vertical lines
    for lineNo in range(minMax[0], minMax[1] + 1):
        verticalNodes = []
        collectVerticalLine(root, lineNo, 0, verticalNodes)
        res.append(verticalNodes)

    return res


#Driver Code Starts
if __name__ == "__main__":
    
    # Create binary tree
    #            1
    #          /   \
    #         2     3
    #        / \   / \
    #       4   5 6   7
    #              \   \
    #               8   9

    root = Node(1)
    root.left = Node(2)
    root.right = Node(3)
    root.left.left = Node(4)
    root.left.right = Node(5)
    root.right.left = Node(6)
    root.right.right = Node(7)
    root.right.left.right = Node(8)
    root.right.right.right = Node(9)

    res = verticalOrder(root)

    # Print grouped vertical nodes
    for temp in res:
        print("[", " ".join(map(str, temp)), "]", end=" ")
    print()

#Driver Code Ends

//Driver Code Starts
// C# code of Vertical Traversal using Brute Force
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Node {
    public int data;
    public Node left, right;

    public Node(int x) {
        data = x;
        left = null;
        right = null;
    }
}

class GfG {
//Driver Code Ends


    // A utility function to find min and
    // max distances with respect to root.
    static void findMinMax(Node node, int[] minMax, int hd) {
      
        // Base case
        if (node == null) return;

        // Update min and max
        if (hd < minMax[0]) minMax[0] = hd;
        else if (hd > minMax[1]) minMax[1] = hd;

        // Recur for left and right subtrees
        findMinMax(node.left, minMax, hd - 1);
        findMinMax(node.right, minMax, hd + 1);
    }

    // A utility function to collect all
    // nodes on a given vertical lineNo.
    static void collectVerticalLine(Node node,
                        int lineNo, int hd, List<int> res) {
        
        // Base case
        if (node == null) return;

        // If this node is on the 
        // given vertical line
        if (hd == lineNo) res.Add(node.data);

        // Recur for left and right subtrees
        collectVerticalLine(node.left, lineNo, hd - 1, res);
        collectVerticalLine(node.right, lineNo, hd + 1, res);
    }

    // The main function that returns a list
    // of lists of nodes in vertical order
    static List<List<int>> verticalOrder(Node root) {
        List<List<int>> res = new List<List<int>>();

        // Find min and max distances with respect to root
        int[] minMax = new int[]{0, 0};
        findMinMax(root, minMax, 0);

        // Iterate through all possible vertical lines
        for (int lineNo = minMax[0]; 
             lineNo <= minMax[1]; lineNo++) {
            List<int> verticalNodes = new List<int>();
            collectVerticalLine(root, lineNo, 0, verticalNodes);
            res.Add(verticalNodes);
        }

        return res;
    }


//Driver Code Starts
    public static void Main() {
      
        // Create binary tree
        //            1
        //          /   \
        //         2     3
        //        / \   / \
        //       4   5 6   7
        //              \   \
        //               8   9

        Node root = new Node(1);
        root.left = new Node(2);
        root.right = new Node(3);
        root.left.left = new Node(4);
        root.left.right = new Node(5);
        root.right.left = new Node(6);
        root.right.right = new Node(7);
        root.right.left.right = new Node(8);
        root.right.right.right = new Node(9);

        List<List<int>> res = verticalOrder(root);

        // Print grouped vertical nodes
        foreach (var temp in res) {
            Console.Write("[ ");
            foreach (int val in temp) {
                Console.Write(val + " ");
            }
            Console.Write("] ");
        }
        Console.WriteLine();
    }
}

//Driver Code Ends

JavaScript

//Driver Code Starts
// JavaScript code of Vertical Traversal using Brute Force

class Node {
    constructor(x) {
        this.data = x;
        this.left = null;
        this.right = null;
    }
}
//Driver Code Ends


// A utility function to find min
// and max distances with respect to root.
function findMinMax(node, minMax, hd) {
    
    // Base case
    if (node === null) return;

    // Update min and max
    if (hd < minMax[0]) minMax[0] = hd;
    else if (hd > minMax[1]) minMax[1] = hd;

    // Recur for left and right subtrees
    findMinMax(node.left, minMax, hd - 1);
    findMinMax(node.right, minMax, hd + 1);
}

// A utility function to collect all
// nodes on a given vertical lineNo.
function collectVerticalLine(node, lineNo, hd, res) {
    
    // Base case
    if (node === null) return;

    // If this node is on the given vertical line
    if (hd === lineNo) res.push(node.data);

    // Recur for left and right subtrees
    collectVerticalLine(node.left, lineNo, hd - 1, res);
    collectVerticalLine(node.right, lineNo, hd + 1, res);
}

// The main function that returns an 
// array of arrays of nodes in vertical order
function verticalOrder(root) {
    let res = [];

    // Find min and max distances with respect to root
    let minMax = [0, 0];
    findMinMax(root, minMax, 0);

    // Iterate through all possible vertical lines
    for (let lineNo = minMax[0]; lineNo <= minMax[1]; lineNo++) {
        let verticalNodes = [];
        collectVerticalLine(root, lineNo, 0, verticalNodes);
        res.push(verticalNodes);
    }

    return res;
}


//Driver Code Starts
// Driver code
if (require.main === module) {
    
    // Create binary tree
    //            1
    //          /   \
    //         2     3
    //        / \   / \
    //       4   5 6   7
    //              \   \
    //               8   9

    let root = new Node(1);
    root.left = new Node(2);
    root.right = new Node(3);
    root.left.left = new Node(4);
    root.left.right = new Node(5);
    root.right.left = new Node(6);
    root.right.right = new Node(7);
    root.right.left.right = new Node(8);
    root.right.right.right = new Node(9);

    let res = verticalOrder(root);
    console.log(res.map(arr => `[ ${arr.join(" ")} ]`).join(" "));
}

//Driver Code Ends

Output

[ 4 ] [ 2 ] [ 1 5 6 ] [ 3 8 ] [ 7 ] [ 9 ]

Time Complexity: O(n²), Time complexity of above algorithm is O(w*n) where w is width of Binary Tree and n is number of nodes in Binary Tree. In worst case, the value of w can be O(n).
Auxiliary Space: O(h), space use by memory stack, where h is height of the tree.

Please refer the below posts for optimised solutions.

Vertical Traversal of a Binary Tree

Print a Binary Tree in Vertical Order

Analysis of Algorithms

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