Get last node of the binary tree following given pattern starting from X

Difficulty Level : Hard
Last Updated : 25 Sep, 2019

Given a binary tree, target node X and a string patt. The task is to find the last node of the binary tree following the pattern starting from X. Pattern may contain only five types of character ‘p’, ‘l’, ‘r’, ‘m’ and ‘n’. For any character encountered:

p: Get to the parent of the current node.
l: Get to the left child of the current node.
r: Get to the right child of the current node.
m: Get to the left sibling in the same level.
n: Get to the right sibling in the same level.

Note that if the node doesn’t exist corresponding to any character then skip that character and remain on the current node.

Examples:

Input:
         10 
        /   \ 
      12    13 
           /   \ 
         14     15 
        /  \    /  \ 
       21  22  23  24 

X = 14, patt = "npmrprrlm"
Output: 22
Starting from the target node 14
n: 14 -> 15
p: 15 -> 13
m: 13 -> 12
r: 12 -> 12 (there is no right child)
p: 12 -> 10
r: 10 -> 13
r: 13 -> 15
l: 15 -> 23
m: 23 -> 22

Input:
         5
        /  \ 
      16    8

X = 16, patt = "pppp"
Output: 5

Recommended: Please try your approach on {IDE} first, before moving on to the solution.

Approach:

Create an auxiliary tree from the original tree but include three extra pointers (parent pointer, left and right sibling pointers).
- Parent pointer will point to the parent of the current node.
- Left pointer will point to the left sibling.
- Right pointer will point to the right sibling.
Check the image below:
After creation of this tree, we can easily traverse the given pattern.
If any node doesn’t exist corresponding any character then simply skip that character.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ implementation of the approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
  
// A Tree node
struct Node 
{
    int key;
    struct Node *left, *right;
};
  
// Utility function to create a new node
Node* newNode(int key)
{
    Node* temp = new Node;
    temp->key = key;
    temp->left = temp->right = NULL;
    return (temp);
}
  
struct auxNode 
{
    int key;
    auxNode *left, *right, *parent;
  
    // Pointer will point the left node
    // at the same level in the tree
    auxNode* llNode;
  
    // Pointer will point the right node
    // at the same level in the tree
    auxNode* rlNode;
};
  
auxNode* newAuxNode(int key)
{
    auxNode* temp = new auxNode;
    temp->key = key;
    temp->left = temp->right = temp->parent
        = temp->llNode = temp->rlNode = NULL;
    return temp;
}
  
// Function to create the auxiliary tree
auxNode* createAuxTree(Node* root)
{
    if (root == NULL)
        return NULL;
    auxNode* auxTree = newAuxNode(root->key);
  
    auxTree->left = createAuxTree(root->left);
    auxTree->right = createAuxTree(root->right);
    return auxTree;
}
  
// Function for arranging the parent node for every node
void makeParentNodePoint(auxNode* auxTree, 
                         auxNode* prev_ptr)
{
    if (auxTree == NULL)
        return;
  
    // Set the parent
    if (prev_ptr != NULL) 
    {
        auxTree->parent = prev_ptr;
    }
  
    // Recur for left and right sub-trees
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree->left, auxTree);
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree->right, auxTree);
}
  
// Function for arranging the left and right
// node for every node at the same level
void makeSameLevelNodePoint(auxNode* auxTree)
{
    queue<auxNode*> qu;
    qu.push(auxTree);
    while (!qu.empty())
    {
        int qsize = qu.size();
        while (qsize--) 
        {
            auxNode* top_ele;
            top_ele = qu.front();
            qu.pop();
            if (qsize)
            {
                top_ele->rlNode = qu.front();
                qu.front()->llNode = top_ele;
            }
            if (top_ele->left != NULL)
            {
                qu.push(top_ele->left);
            }
            if (top_ele->right != NULL) 
            {
                qu.push(top_ele->right);
            }
        }
    }
}
  
// Function to return the target node address
auxNode* getTargetNodeAddress(auxNode* auxTree, int tNode)
{
    if (auxTree == NULL)
        return NULL;
  
    if (auxTree->key == tNode)
    {
        return auxTree;
    }
    auxNode* is_null = getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree->left, tNode);
    if (is_null != NULL)
        return is_null;
    return getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree->right, tNode);
}
  
// Utility function to print the last node
void printNode(auxNode* auxTree, 
               auxNode* target_node, 
               string pattern)
{
  
    // Perform the movement
    for (int i = 0; i < pattern.length(); i++) 
    {
        switch (pattern[i])
        {
  
        // Get to the parent
        case 'p':
        case 'P':
            if (target_node->parent != NULL)
            {
                target_node = target_node->parent;
            }
            break;
  
        // Get to the left child
        case 'l':
        case 'L':
            if (target_node->left != NULL) 
            {
                target_node = target_node->left;
            }
            break;
  
        // Get to the right child
        case 'r':
        case 'R':
            if (target_node->right != NULL)
                target_node = target_node->right;
            break;
  
        // Get to the left sibling in the same level
        case 'm':
        case 'M':
            if (target_node->llNode != NULL)
                target_node = target_node->llNode;
            break;
  
        // Get to the right sibling in the same level
        case 'n':
        case 'N':
            if (target_node->rlNode != NULL)
                target_node = target_node->rlNode;
            break;
        default:
            return;
        }
    }
    cout << target_node->key;
}
  
// Function to print the last node 
// according to the pattern
void printNodeUsingPattern(Node* root, 
                           string pattern, int tNode)
{
    // Function will create auxiliary tree same as
    // original tree with left child and right child
    auxNode* auxTree = createAuxTree(root);
  
    // Function will make every node 
    // point to its parent node
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree, NULL);
  
    // Function will make every node point to its
    // left and right node at the same level
    makeSameLevelNodePoint(auxTree);
  
    // Function will give the address of the target node
    auxNode* target_node = getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree, tNode);
  
    // If target node found
    if (target_node != NULL)
    {
  
        // Function call to print the last node
        // according to the given pattern
        printNode(auxTree, target_node, pattern);
    }
    else
        cout << "-1"; 
} 
    
// Driver code 
int main() 
{ 
    Node* root = newNode(10); 
    root->left = newNode(12); 
    root->right = newNode(13); 
    root->right->left = newNode(14); 
    root->right->right = newNode(15); 
    root->right->left->left = newNode(21); 
    root->right->left->right = newNode(22); 
    root->right->right->left = newNode(23); 
    root->right->right->right = newNode(24); 
    int target_node = 14; 
    string str = "npmrprrlm"; 
    printNodeUsingPattern(root, str, target_node); 
    
    return 0; 
} 

Python3

# Python3 implementation of the approach
import queue
  
# A Tree node
class Node: 
    def __init__(self,key): 
        self.left = None
        self.right = None
        self.key = key
          
class auxNode:
    def __init__(self,key):
        self.left = None
        self.right = None
        self.key = key
        self.parent = None
  
        # Pointer will point the left node
        # at the same level in the tree
        self.llNode = None
  
        # Pointer will point the right node
        # at the same level in the tree
        self.rlNode = None
      
def newAuxNode(key):
  
    temp = auxNode(key)
    return temp
  
def createAuxTree(root):
  
    if (root == None) :
        return None
      
    auxTree = auxNode(root.key)
      
    auxTree.left = createAuxTree(root.left)
    auxTree.right = createAuxTree(root.right)
    return auxTree
      
# Function for arranging the 
# parent node for every node
def makeParentNodePoint(auxTree, prev_ptr):
  
    if (auxTree == None):
        return;
  
    # Set the parent
    if (prev_ptr != None) :
        auxTree.parent = prev_ptr
        #print("Parent : ",auxTree.parent.key)
      
    # Recur for left and right sub-trees
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree.left, auxTree)
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree.right, auxTree)
      
# Function for arranging the left and right
# node for every node at the same level
def makeSameLevelNodePoint(auxTree):
  
    qu = queue.Queue(maxsize = 50)
    qu.put(auxTree)
    while (not qu.empty()) :
        size = qu.qsize()
        while (size) :
            size -= 1
              
            top_ele = qu.get();
              
            if (size) :
                front = qu.get()
                top_ele.rlNode = front
                front.llNode = top_ele
                  
                # since we don't have peek function 
                # in python creating 2nd queue 
                # to store elements below peek element
                qu2 = queue.Queue(maxsize = 50)
                while not qu.empty():
                    a = qu.get()
                    qu2.put(a)
                      
                # putting back front element 
                # in queue 1 all elements which 
                # were behind it in original queue
                qu.put(front)
                while not qu2.empty():
                    qu.put(qu2.get())
              
            if (top_ele.left != None) :
                qu.put(top_ele.left)
              
            if (top_ele.right != None) :
                qu.put(top_ele.right)
                  
# Function to return the target node address
def getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree, tNode):
  
    if (auxTree == None):
        return None
  
    if (auxTree.key == tNode) :
        return auxTree
      
    is_null = getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree.left, tNode)
    if (is_null != None):
        return is_null
    return getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree.right, tNode)
      
# Utility function to print the last node
def printNode(auxTree, target_node, pattern):
  
    # Perform the movement
    for i in range(len(pattern)) :
          
        # Get to the parent
        if pattern[i] == 'p' or pattern[i] == 'P':
      
            if (target_node.parent != None): 
                target_node = target_node.parent
          
        # Get to the left child
        elif pattern[i] == 'l' or pattern[i] == 'L':
            if (target_node.left != None) :
                target_node = target_node.left
              
        # Get to the right child
        elif pattern[i] == 'r' or pattern[i] == 'R':
            if (target_node.right != None):
                target_node = target_node.right
              
        # Get to the left sibling in the same level
        elif pattern[i] == 'm' or pattern[i] == 'M':
            if (target_node.llNode != None):
                target_node = target_node.llNode
          
        # Get to the right sibling in the same level
        elif pattern[i] == 'n' or pattern[i] == 'N':
            if (target_node.rlNode != None):
                target_node = target_node.rlNode
        else:
            return
  
    print(target_node.key, end = ' ')
  
# Function to print the last node 
# according to the pattern
def printNodeUsingPattern(root, pattern, tNode):
      
    # Function will create auxiliary tree same as
    # original tree with left child and right child
    auxTree = createAuxTree(root)
  
    # Function will make every node
    # point to its parent node
    makeParentNodePoint(auxTree, None)
      
    # Function will make every node point to its
    # left and right node at the same level
    makeSameLevelNodePoint(auxTree)
      
    # Function will give the address of the target node
    target_node = getTargetNodeAddress(auxTree, tNode)
  
    # If target node found
    if (target_node != None) :
  
        # Function call to print the last node
        # according to the given pattern
        printNode(auxTree, target_node, pattern);
  
    else :
        print("-1")
  
# Driver Code
root = Node(10) 
root.left = Node(12)
root.right = Node(13)
root.right.left = Node(14)
root.right.right = Node(15)
root.right.left.left = Node(21)
root.right.left.right = Node(22)
root.right.right.left = Node(23)
root.right.right.right = Node(24)
target_node = 14
string = "npmrprrlm"
  
printNodeUsingPattern(root, string, target_node)
  
# This code is contributed by Sadik Ali 

Output:

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My Personal Notes

Related Articles

Recommended: Please try your approach on {IDE} first, before moving on to the solution.

C++

Python3