Smallest power of 2 greater than or equal to n

Difficulty Level : Medium
Last Updated : 01 Apr, 2021

Write a function that, for a given no n, finds a number p which is greater than or equal to n and is a smallest power of 2.
Examples :

    Input : n = 5
    Output: 8     

    Input  : n = 17
    Output : 32     

    Input  : n = 32
    Output : 32

There are plenty of solutions for this. Let us take the example of 17 to explain some of them.
Method 1(Using Log of the number)

    1.  Calculate Position of set bit in p(next power of 2):
        pos =  ceil(lgn)  (ceiling of log n with base 2)
    2.  Now calculate p:
        p   = pow(2, pos)

Example :

    Let us try for 17
            pos = 5
            p   = 32

Method 2 (By getting the position of only set bit in result )

    /* If n is a power of 2 then return n */
    1  If (n & !(n&(n-1))) then return n 
    2  Else keep right shifting n until it becomes zero 
        and count no of shifts
        a. Initialize: count = 0
        b. While n ! = 0
                n = n>>1
                count = count + 1

     /* Now count has the position of set bit in result */
    3  Return (1 << count)

Example :

    Let us try for 17
                 count = 5
                 p     = 32

C++

// C++ program to find
// smallest power of 2
// greater than or equal to n
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n)
{
    unsigned count = 0;
     
    // First n in the below condition
    // is for the case where n is 0
    if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
        return n;
     
    while( n != 0)
    {
        n >>= 1;
        count += 1;
    }
     
    return 1 << count;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    unsigned int n = 0;
    cout << nextPowerOf2(n);
    return 0;
}
 
// This code is contributed by rathbhupendra

C

#include<stdio.h>
 
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n)
{
unsigned count = 0;
 
// First n in the below condition
// is for the case where n is 0
if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
    return n;
 
while( n != 0)
{
    n >>= 1;
    count += 1;
}
 
return 1 << count;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
unsigned int n = 0;
printf("%d", nextPowerOf2(n));
return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to find
// smallest power of 2
// greater than or equal to n
import java.io.*;
 
class GFG
{
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        int count = 0;
 
        // First n in the below
        // condition is for the
        // case where n is 0
        if (n > 0 && (n & (n - 1)) == 0)
            return n;
 
        while(n != 0)
        {
            n >>= 1;
            count += 1;
        }
 
        return 1 << count;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        int n = 0;
        System.out.println(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This article is contributed
// by Anshika Goyal.

Python3

def nextPowerOf2(n):
    count = 0;
 
    # First n in the below
    # condition is for the
    # case where n is 0
    if (n and not(n & (n - 1))):
        return n
     
    while( n != 0):
        n >>= 1
        count += 1
     
    return 1 << count;
 
 
# Driver Code
n = 0
print(nextPowerOf2(n))
# This code is contributed
# by Smitha Dinesh Semwal

C#

// C# program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than
// or equal to n
using System;
 
class GFG
{
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        int count = 0;
 
        // First n in the below
        // condition is for the
        // case where n is 0
        if (n > 0 && (n & (n - 1)) == 0)
            return n;
 
        while(n != 0)
        {
            n >>= 1;
            count += 1;
        }
 
        return 1 << count;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void Main()
    {
        int n = 0;
        Console.WriteLine(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by anuj_67.

PHP

<?php
// PHP program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
 
function nextPowerOf2($n)
{
$count = 0;
 
// First n in the below condition
// is for the case where n is 0
if ($n && !($n&($n - 1)))
    return $n;
 
while($n != 0)
{
    $n >>= 1;
    $count += 1;
}
 
return 1 << $count;
}
 
// Driver Code
$n = 0;
echo (nextPowerOf2($n));
 
// This code is contributed by vt_m
?>

Javascript

<script>
 
// JavaScript program to find
// smallest power of 2
// greater than or equal to n
 
function nextPowerOf2(n)
{
    var count = 0;
     
    // First n in the below condition
    // is for the case where n is 0
    if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
        return n;
     
    while( n != 0)
    {
        n >>= 1;
        count += 1;
    }
     
    return 1 << count;
}
 
// Driver Code
var n = 0;
document.write(nextPowerOf2(n));
     
</script>

Output :

Method 3(Shift result one by one)
Thanks to coderyogi for suggesting this method . This method is a variation of method 2 where instead of getting count, we shift the result one by one in a loop.

C++

// C++ program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n)
{
    unsigned int p = 1;
    if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
        return n;
 
    while (p < n)
        p <<= 1;
     
    return p;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    unsigned int n = 5;
    cout << nextPowerOf2(n);
    return 0;
}
 
// This code is contributed by rathbhupendra

C

#include<stdio.h>
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n)
{
    unsigned int p = 1;
    if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
        return n;
 
    while (p < n)
        p <<= 1;
     
    return p;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
unsigned int n = 5;
printf("%d", nextPowerOf2(n));
return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
import java.io.*;
 
class GFG
{
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        int p = 1;
        if (n > 0 && (n & (n - 1)) == 0)
            return n;
 
        while (p < n)
            p <<= 1;
     
        return p;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        int n = 5;
        System.out.println(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This article is contributed
// by Anshika Goyal.

Python3

def nextPowerOf2(n):
 
    p = 1
    if (n and not(n & (n - 1))):
        return n
 
    while (p < n) :
        p <<= 1
         
    return p;
 
 
# Driver Code
n = 5
print(nextPowerOf2(n));
 
# This code is contributed by
# Smitha Dinesh Semwal

C#

// C# program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
using System;
 
class GFG
{
 
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        int p = 1;
        if (n > 0 && (n & (n - 1)) == 0)
            return n;
 
        while (p < n)
            p <<= 1;
     
        return p;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void Main()
    {
        int n = 5;
        Console.Write(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by Smitha.

PHP

<?php
 
function nextPowerOf2($n)
{
    $p = 1;
    if ($n && !($n & ($n - 1)))
        return $n;
 
    while ($p < $n)
        $p <<= 1;
     
    return $p;
}
 
// Driver Code
$n = 5;
echo ( nextPowerOf2($n));
 
// This code is contributed by vt_m.
?>

Javascript

<script>
// Program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
 
function  nextPowerOf2( n)
{
    p = 1;
    if (n && !(n & (n - 1)))
        return n;
  
    while (p < n)
        p <<= 1;
      
    return p;
}
  
// Driver Code
 
     n = 5;
    document.write (nextPowerOf2(n));
     
    //This code is contributed by simranarora5sos
</script>

Output :

Time Complexity: O(lgn)
Method 4(Customized and Fast)

    1. Subtract n by 1
       n = n -1

    2. Set all bits after the leftmost set bit.

    /* Below solution works only if integer is 32 bits */
                n = n | (n >> 1);
                n = n | (n >> 2);
                n = n | (n >> 4);
                n = n | (n >> 8);
                n = n | (n >> 16);
    3. Return n + 1

Example :

Steps 1 & 3 of above algorithm are to handle cases 
of power of 2 numbers e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16,

    Let us try for 17(10001)
    step 1
       n = n - 1 = 16 (10000)  
    step 2
       n = n | n >> 1
       n = 10000 | 01000
       n = 11000
       n = n | n >> 2
       n = 11000 | 00110
       n = 11110
       n = n | n >> 4
       n = 11110 | 00001
       n = 11111
       n = n | n >> 8
       n = 11111 | 00000
       n = 11111
       n = n | n >> 16
       n = 11110 | 00000
       n = 11111    

    step 3: Return n+1
     We get n + 1 as 100000 (32)

Program:

C++

// C++ program to 
// Finds next power of two
// for n. If n itself is a
// power of two then returns n
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
   
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n) 
{
    n--;
    n |= n >> 1;
    n |= n >> 2;
    n |= n >> 4;
    n |= n >> 8;
    n |= n >> 16;
    n++;
    return n;
}
   
// Driver Code 
int main() 
{ 
    unsigned int n = 5; 
    cout << nextPowerOf2(n); 
    return 0; 
} 
   
// This code is contributed by SHUBHAMSINGH10

C

#include <stdio.h>
// Finds next power of two
// for n. If n itself is a
// power of two then returns n
unsigned int nextPowerOf2(unsigned int n)
{
    n--;
    n |= n >> 1;
    n |= n >> 2;
    n |= n >> 4;
    n |= n >> 8;
    n |= n >> 16;
    n++;
    return n;
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    unsigned int n = 5;
    printf("%d", nextPowerOf2(n));
    return 0;
}    

Java

// Java program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
import java.io.*;
 
class GFG
{
    // Finds next power of two
    // for n. If n itself is a
    // power of two then returns n
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        n--;
        n |= n >> 1;
        n |= n >> 2;
        n |= n >> 4;
        n |= n >> 8;
        n |= n >> 16;
        n++;
         
        return n;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        int n = 5;
        System.out.println(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This article is contributed
// by Anshika Goyal.

Python 3

# Finds next power of two
# for n. If n itself is a
# power of two then returns n
def nextPowerOf2(n):
 
    n -= 1
    n |= n >> 1
    n |= n >> 2
    n |= n >> 4
    n |= n >> 8
    n |= n >> 16
    n += 1
    return n
 
# Driver program to test
# above function
n = 5
print(nextPowerOf2(n))
 
# This code is contributed
# by Smitha

C#

// C# program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
using System;
 
class GFG
{
 
    // Finds next power of two
    // for n. If n itself is a
    // power of two then returns n
    static int nextPowerOf2(int n)
    {
        n--;
        n |= n >> 1;
        n |= n >> 2;
        n |= n >> 4;
        n |= n >> 8;
        n |= n >> 16;
        n++;
         
        return n;
    }
 
    // Driver Code
    public static void Main()
    {
        int n = 5;
        Console.WriteLine(nextPowerOf2(n));
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by anuj_67.

PHP

<?php
// PHP program to find smallest
// power of 2 greater than or
// equal to n
 
// Finds next power of
// two for n. If n itself
// is a power of two then
// returns n
function nextPowerOf2($n)
{
    $n--;
    $n |= $n >> 1;
    $n |= $n >> 2;
    $n |= $n >> 4;
    $n |= $n >> 8;
    $n |= $n >> 16;
    $n++;
    return $n;
}
 
    // Driver Code
    $n = 5;
    echo nextPowerOf2($n);
 
// This code contributed by Ajit
?>

Output :

Time Complexity : O(lgn)
Related Post :
Highest power of 2 less than or equal to given number
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_2

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