Scribd
Upload
113 views

Recursion Tree Method

The document describes the recursion tree method for solving recurrence relations. It provides examples to illustrate the steps: 1) Draw a recursion tree based on the relation showing division of problems into sub-problems. 2) Determine the cost of each level by summing sub-problem costs. 3) Calculate the number of levels and nodes in the last level. 4) Sum the costs to get the overall cost in asymptotic notation. Two sample relations are worked through as examples.

Uploaded by

Jayakrishnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
113 views

Recursion Tree Method

The document describes the recursion tree method for solving recurrence relations. It provides examples to illustrate the steps: 1) Draw a recursion tree based on the relation showing division of problems into sub-problems. 2) Determine the cost of each level by summing sub-problem costs. 3) Calculate the number of levels and nodes in the last level. 4) Sum the costs to get the overall cost in asymptotic notation. Two sample relations are worked through as examples.

Uploaded by

Jayakrishnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Recursion Tree-

● Like Master’s Theorem, Recursion Tree is another method for solving the recurrence
relations.
● A recursion tree is a tree where each node represents the cost of a certain recursive
sub-problem.
● We sum up the values in each node to get the cost of the entire algorithm.

Steps to solve Recurrence relations using Recursion tree


method-
Step 1 :Draw a recursion tree based on the given recurrence relation.
Step 2 :Determine-
● Cost of each level
● Total number of levels in the recursion tree
● Number of nodes in the last level
● Cost of the last level

Step 3 :Add cost of all the levels of the recursion tree and simplify the expression so obtained in
terms of asymptotic notation.

Problem 1:

Solve the following recurrence relation using recursion tree method-

T(n) = 2T(n/2) + n

Solution

Step 1:Draw a recursion tree based on the given recurrence relation.

The given recurrence relation shows-

● A problem of size n will get divided into 2 sub-problems of size n/2.


● Then, each sub-problem of size n/2 will get divided into 2 sub-problems of size n/4 and
so on.
● At the bottom most layer, the size of sub-problems will reduce to 1

This is illustrated through following recursion tree-


The given recurrence relation shows-

● The cost of dividing a problem of size n into its 2 sub-problems and then combining its
solution is n.
● The cost of dividing a problem of size n/2 into its 2 sub-problems and then combining its
solution is n/2 and so on.

This is illustrated through following recursion tree where each node represents the cost of the
corresponding sub-problem-

Step 2:

***Determine cost of each level-

● Cost of level-0 = n
● Cost of level-1 = n/2 + n/2 = n
● Cost of level-2 = n/4 + n/4 + n/4 + n/4 = n and so on.

***Determine total number of levels in the recursion tree-

● Size of sub-problem at level-0 = n/20


● Size of sub-problem at level-1 = n/21
● Size of sub-problem at level-2 = n/22

Continuing in similar manner, we have-

Size of sub-problem at level-i = n/2i

Suppose at level-x (last level), size of sub-problem becomes 1. Then-

n / 2x = 1

2x = n

Taking log on both sides, we get-

xlog2 = logn

x = log2n

∴ Total number of levels in the recursion tree = log 2n + 1

***Determine number of nodes in the last level-

● Level-0 has 20 nodes i.e. 1 node


● Level-1 has 21 nodes i.e. 2 nodes
● Level-2 has 22 nodes i.e. 4 nodes

Continuing in similar manner, we have-

Level-log2n has 2log2n nodes (i.e. n nodes) (since 2log2n=n)

***Determine cost of last level-

Cost of last level = n x T(1) = θ(n)

Step 3:Add costs of all the levels of the recursion tree and simplify the expression so obtained in
terms of asymptotic notation-

T(n)= n x log2n + θ (n)


= nlog2n + θ (n)

= θ (nlog2n)

Problem 2:

Solve the following recurrence relation using recursion tree method-

T(n) = T(n/5) + T(4n/5) + n

Solution

Step 1: Draw a recursion tree based on the given recurrence relation.

The given recurrence relation shows-

● A problem of size n will get divided into 2 sub-problems- one of size n/5 and another of
size 4n/5.
● Then, sub-problem of size n/5 will get divided into 2 sub-problems- one of size n/52 and
another of size 4n/52.
● On the other side, sub-problem of size 4n/5 will get divided into 2 sub-problems- one of
size 4n/52 and another of size 42n/52 and so on.
● At the bottom most layer, the size of sub-problems will reduce to 1.

This is illustrated through following recursion tree-


The given recurrence relation shows-

● The cost of dividing a problem of size n into its 2 sub-problems and then combining its
solution is n.
● The cost of dividing a problem of size n/5 into its 2 sub-problems and then combining its
solution is n/5.
● The cost of dividing a problem of size 4n/5 into its 2 sub-problems and then combining
its solution is 4n/5 and so on.

This is illustrated through following recursion tree where each node represents the cost of the
corresponding sub-problem-

Step2:
***Determine cost of each level-
● Cost of level-0 = n
● Cost of level-1 = n/5 + 4n/5 = n
● Cost of level-2 = n/52 + 4n/52 + 4n/52 + 42n/52 = n

***Determine total number of levels in the recursion tree. We will consider the rightmost sub tree
as it goes down to the deepest level-
● Size of sub-problem at level-0 = (4/5)0n
● Size of sub-problem at level-1 =(4/5)1n
● Size of sub-problem at level-2 =(4/5)2n

Continuing in similar manner, we have-


Size of sub-problem at level-i = (4/5)in
Suppose at level-x (last level), size of sub-problem becomes 1. Then-
(4/5)xn = 1
(4/5)x = 1/n
Taking log on both sides, we get-
xlog(4/5) = log(1/n)
x = log5/4n
∴ Total number of levels in the recursion tree = log 5/4n + 1

***Determine number of nodes in the last level-


● Level-0 has 20 nodes i.e. 1 node
● Level-1 has 21 nodes i.e. 2 nodes
● Level-2 has 22 nodes i.e. 4 nodes

Continuing in similar manner, we have-

Level-log5/4n has 2log5/4n nodes

***Determine cost of last level-

Cost of last level = 2log5/4n x T(1) = θ(2log5/4n) = θ(nlog5/42)

Step 3:Add costs of all the levels of the recursion tree and simplify the expression so obtained in
terms of asymptotic notation-

T(n)=nlog5/4n + θ(nlog5/42)

= θ(nlog5/4n)

You might also like