Slide 1: Title Slide
Title: Understanding Binary Trees
Subtitle: The Fastest Way to Organize and
Search Data
Image: A simple binary tree diagram
Slide 2: What is a Binary Tree?
Definition: A tree data structure where each node has at most
two children (left and right).
Key Terms:
Root: The topmost node.
Parent/Child: Nodes connected hierarchically.
Leaf: A node with no children.
Real-World Analogy:
Like a family tree, but each parent has max
2 children.
Image:
Co
py
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/\
BC
/\
DE
Slide 3: Why Use Binary Trees?
Advantages
Faster Searching (O(log n) vs. O(n) in lists).
Efficient Sorting (Inorder traversal = sorted
data).
Flexible Structure (Used in databases, AI,
games). Example:
Finding a name in a phonebook by splitting
pages in half. Image:
Binary search vs. linear search comparison.
Slide 4: Types of Binary
Trees Binary Search Tree
(BST):
Left child < Parent < Right
child. Used for fast
lookups.
Heap:
Max-Heap: Parent > Children.
Balanced vs. Unbalanced:
Balanced (e.g., AVL Tree): Ensures O(log n)
operations. Unbalanced: Degenerates into a
linked list (O(n)). Image:
BST vs. Heap vs. Unbalanced tree.
Slide 5: How Binary Search Trees Work Rules
Start at the root.
If target < current node go left.
If target > current node go right.
Example:
Insert [5,3,7,1,4]:
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l\
37
l\
14
Animation:
Step-by-step insertion of
values.
Slide 6: Traversing a
Binary Tree
Three Ways to Traverse
Inorder (Left-Root-Right): Sorted output.
Preorder (Root-Left-Right): Copying tree
structure. Postorder (Left-Right-Root):
Deleting nodes.
Code Snippet:
python
Co
py
Download def inorder(root): if root:
inorder(root.left)
print(root.val)
inorder(root.right)
Image:
Traversal paths on a
tree.
Slide 7: Real-World Applications
Databases: Indexing for fast searches (B-
trees).
AI: Decision trees for classification.
File Systems: Organizing directories.
Games: Spatial partitioning (e.g., collision
detection). Example:
How databases use BSTs to find records
instantly. Image:
File system hierarchy.
Slide 8: Common Operations
Operat Time Description
ion Complexit
y
Search O(log n) Find a value.
Insert O(log n) Add a value.
Remove a
Delete O(log n)
value.
Note: Only if the tree is
balanced!
Slide 9: Demo
Time!
Interactive Python
Example
python
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self.left = None
class Node: def_init_(self, val):
self.right = None
self.val = val
# Insertion
def insert(root, val):
if not root: return Node(val) if val <
root.val: root.left = insert(root.left, val)
else: root.right = insert(root.right, val)
return root
#Usage root = None
for num in [5, 3, 7, 1,4]: root =
insert(root, num)
Task: Try inserting [8, 2, 6] and draw the resulting tree!
Slide 10: Summary & Q&A
Key Takeaways
Binary trees enable fast searches and sorting.
Used everywhere: databases, AI, OS, games.
Balance is key for efficiency!
Q&A:
What happens if all nodes go right? Becomes a slow
linked list!
How do heaps differ from BSTs? Heaps prioritize
min/max values.
