4.

Recurrences

Hsu, Lih-Hsing
 Computer Theory Lab.

Recurrences -- T ( n ) aT ( n / b ) f ( n )

Substitution method
Recursion-tree method
Master method

Chapter 4 P.2
 Computer Theory Lab.

Technicalities
We neglect certain technical details
when we state and solve recurrences.
A good example of a detail that is often
glossed over is the assumption of
integer arguments to functions.
Boundary conditions is ignored. Omit
floors, ceilings.

Chapter 4 P.3
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4.1 The substitution method

: Mathematical induction
The substitution method for solving
recurrence entails two steps:
1. Guess the form of the solution.
2. Use mathematical induction to find the
constants and show that the solution
works.

Chapter 4 P.4
 Computer Theory Lab.

Example
T ( n ) 2T ( n / 2 ) n

T (1 ) 1
(We may omit the initial condition later.)

Guess T (n) O(n log n)

Assume T ( n / 2 ) c n / 2 log n / 2

Chapter 4 P.5
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n
T ( n ) 2( c n / 2 log n / 2 ) n cn log n
2
cn log n cn log 2 n cn log n (if c 1.)

Initial condition 1 T (1) cn log1 0()

However, 4 T ( 2 ) cn log 2 ( if c 4 )

Chapter 4 P.6
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Making a good guess

T ( n ) 2T ( n / 2 17 ) n
We guess T ( n ) O( n log n )

Making guess provides loose upper

bound and lower bound. Then improve
the gap.

Chapter 4 P.7
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Subtleties
T ( n ) T ( n / 2 ) T ( n / 2 ) 1

Guess T ( n ) O( n )

Assume T ( n ) cn
T ( n ) c n / 2 c n / 2 1 cn 1 cn

However, assume T ( n ) cn b
T ( n ) ( cn / 2 b ) ( cn / 2 b ) 1
cn 2 b 1 cn b ( Choose b 1 )

Chapter 4 P.8
 Computer Theory Lab.

n
Show that the solution to T(n) = 2T(2 + 17) + n is O(n lg n)

Solution:
assume a > 0, b > 0, c > 0 and T(n) an lg n blg n - c
n n n
T(n) 2[(2 + 17)lg(2 +17) - blg(2 + 17)-c]+n

n n
(an + 34a)lg(2 +17) - 2blg(2 +17) - 2c + n

n n
anlg(2 +17) + anlg21/a + (34a-2b)lg(2 +17) - 2c

anlg(n) 21/a+ (34a-2b)lg(n) - 2c

Chapter 4 P.9
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anlg(n) 21/a+ (34a-2b)lg(n) - 2c

n
n 2 +17n 34

n
n (2 +17) 21/a21/2 1.5 n 12

34a-2b -bb 34a

c > 0-c > -2c
T(n) anlgn - blgn - cT(n) anlgn
T(n) = O(nlgn)

Chapter 4 P.10
 Computer Theory Lab.

Avoiding pitfalls
T ( n ) 2T ( n / 2 ) n

T (1 ) 1
Assume T ( n ) O( n )

Hence T ( n ) cn
T (n) 2(c n / 2) n cn n O(n)
(Since c is a constant)
(WRONG!) You cannot find such a c.

Chapter 4 P.11
 Computer Theory Lab.

Changing variables
T ( n ) 2T ( n ) lg n

Let m lg n .
T ( 2 m ) 2T ( 2 m / 2 ) m

Then S( m) 2 S( m / 2 ) m.
S ( m ) O( m lg m )
T ( n ) T ( 2 m ) S ( m ) O( m lg m )
O(lg n lg lg n )

Chapter 4 P.12
 Computer Theory Lab.

4.2 the Recursion-tree method

T (n) 3T ( n / 4) (n 2 )

Chapter 4 P.13
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Chapter 4 P.14
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The cost of the entire tree

2 log 4 n 1
3 2 3 2 3
T (n) cn cn cn ...
2
cn 2 (nlog 3 )
4

16 16 16

log 4 n 1 i
3 2
cn n log 4
3

i 0 16
(3 / 16)log n 1 2 4

cn (nlog 3 ). 4

(3 / 16) 1

Chapter 4 P.15
 Computer Theory Lab.

log 4 n 1 i
3 2
T ( n) cn n log 4 3

i 0 16

i
3 2
cn nlog 3 4

i 0 16

1
1 (3 / 16)
cn 2 n log 4 3

16 2
cn (nlog 3 ) 4

13
O(n 2 )
Chapter 4 P.16
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substitution method
We want to Show that T(n) dn2 for some constant
d > 0. using the same constant c > 0 as before,
we have
3T ( n / 4) cn 2
T ( n)
3d n / 42 cn 2

3d (n / 4) 2 cn 2

3 2
dn cn 2

16
dn2 ,

Where the last step holds as long as d (16/13)c.

Chapter 4 P.17
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T (n) T (n / 3) T (2n / 3) cn

Chapter 4 P.18
 Computer Theory Lab.

substitution method
T (n) T (n / 3) T (2n / 3) cn
d (n / 3) lg( n / 3) d (2n / 3) lg( 2n / 3) cn
(d (n / 3) lg n d (n / 3) lg 3) (d (2n / 3) lg n d (2n / 3) lg( 3 / 2)) cn
dn lg n d (( n / 3) lg 3 (2n / 3) lg( 3 / 2)) cn
dn lg n d (( n / 3) lg 3 (2n / 3) lg 3 (2n / 3) lg 2 cn

dn lg n dn(lg 3 2 / 3) cn

dn lg n,

As long as d c/lg3 (2/3)).

Chapter 4 P.19
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4.3 The master method

Theorem 4.1 (Master theorem)
Let a 1 and b 1 be constants, let f ( n ) be a function, and T ( n )
be defined on the nonnegative integers by the recurrence
T ( n ) aT ( n / b ) f ( n )
where we interpret n / b mean either n / b or n / b .
1. If f ( n ) O( n logb a ) for some constant 0 , then T ( n ) ( nlogb a ) .
2. If f ( n ) O( n logb a ) then T ( n ) ( nlogb a log n ) .
3. If f ( n ) O( n logb a ) for some constant 0 and if af ( n / b ) cf ( n )
for some constant c 1 and all sufficiently large n, then T ( n ) ( f ( n )) .
Proof. (In section 4.4 by recursive tree)

Chapter 4 P.20
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T ( n ) 9T ( n / 3 ) n

a 9, b 3, f ( n ) n
n log3 9 n2 , f ( n ) O( n log3 9 1 )

Case 1 T ( n ) ( n2 )

T ( n ) T ( 2n / 3 ) 1

a 1, b 3 / 2 , f ( n ) 1
n log3 / 2 1 n0 1 f ( n ),

Case 2 T ( n ) (log n )

Chapter 4 P.21
 Computer Theory Lab.

T ( n ) 3T ( n / 4 ) n log n

a 3 , b 4 , f ( n ) n log n
n log4 3 n0 .793 , f ( n ) O( n log4 3 )

Case 3
Check
n n 3n
af(n/b)=3( ) log ( ) log n=cf(n)
4 4 4
3
for c= , and sufficiently large n
4
T ( n ) ( n log n )
Chapter 4 P.22
 Computer Theory Lab.

The master method does not apply to the

recurrence T (n) 2T (n / 2) n lg n,
even though it has the proper form: a = 2,
b=2, f(n)= n lgn, and n
log b a
n. It might
seem that case 3 should apply, since f(n)=
n lgn is asymptotically larger than n log b a
n.
The problem is that it is not polynomially
larger.

Chapter 4 P.23