Subsections


2.5 $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$: Building a Deque from Two Stacks

Next, we present a data structure, the $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ that achieves the same performance bounds as an $ \mathtt{ArrayDeque}$ by using two $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$s. Although the asymptotic performance of the $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ is no better than that of the $ \mathtt{ArrayDeque}$, it is still worth studying, since it offers a good example of how to make a sophisticated data structure by combining two simpler data structures.

A $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ represents a list using two $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$s. Recall that an $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$ is fast when the operations on it modify elements near the end. A $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ places two $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$s, called $ \mathtt{front}$ and $ \mathtt{back}$, back-to-back so that operations are fast at either end.

  ArrayStack<T> front;
  ArrayStack<T> back;

A $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ does not explicitly store the number, $ \mathtt{n}$, of elements it contains. It doesn't need to, since it contains $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}=\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}} + \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$ elements. Nevertheless, when analyzing the $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ we will still use $ \mathtt{n}$ to denote the number of elements it contains.

  int size() {
    return front.size() + back.size();
  }

The $ \mathtt{front}$ $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$ stores the list elements that whose indices are $ 0,\ldots,\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}-1$, but stores them in reverse order. The $ \mathtt{back}$ $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$ contains list elements with indices in $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}},\ldots,\ensuremath{\mathtt{size()}}-1$ in the normal order. In this way, $ \mathtt{get(i)}$ and $ \mathtt{set(i,x)}$ translate into appropriate calls to $ \mathtt{get(i)}$ or $ \mathtt{set(i,x)}$ on either $ \mathtt{front}$ or $ \mathtt{back}$, which take $ O(1)$ time per operation.

  T get(int i) {
    if (i < front.size()) {
      return front.get(front.size() - i - 1);
    } else {
      return back.get(i - front.size());
    }
  }
  T set(int i, T x) {
    if (i < front.size()) {
      return front.set(front.size() - i - 1, x);
    } else {
      return back.set(i - front.size(), x);
    }
  }

Note that if an index $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}<\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}$, then it corresponds to the element of $ \mathtt{front}$ at position $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}-1$, since the elements of $ \mathtt{front}$ are stored in reverse order.

Adding and removing elements from a $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ is illustrated in Figure 2.4. The $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ operation manipulates either $ \mathtt{front}$ or $ \mathtt{back}$, as appropriate:

Figure 2.4: A sequence of $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ operations on a $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$. Arrows denote elements being copied. Operations that result in a rebalancing by $ \mathtt{balance()}$ are marked with an asterisk.
\includegraphics[scale=0.90909]{figs/dualarraydeque}

  void add(int i, T x) {
    if (i < front.size()) {
      front.add(front.size() - i, x);
    } else {
      back.add(i - front.size(), x);
    }
    balance();
  }

The $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ method performs rebalancing of the two $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$s $ \mathtt{front}$ and $ \mathtt{back}$, by calling the $ \mathtt{balance()}$ method. The implementation of $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is described below, but for now it is sufficient to know that $ \mathtt{balance()}$ ensures that, unless $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{size()}}<2$, $ \mathtt{front.size()}$ and $ \mathtt{back.size()}$ do not differ by more than a factor of 3. In particular, $ 3\cdot\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}} \ge \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$ and $ 3\cdot\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}} \ge \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}$.

Next we analyze the cost of $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$, ignoring the cost of calls to $ \mathtt{balance()}$. If $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}<\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}$, then $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ gets implemented by the call to $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.add(front.size()-i-1,x)}}$. Since $ \mathtt{front}$ is an $ \mathtt{ArrayStack}$, the cost of this is

$\displaystyle O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}-(\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}-1)+1) = O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}+1) \enspace .$ (2.1)

On the other hand, if $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}\ge\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}$, then $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ gets implemented as $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.add(i-front.size(),x)}}$. The cost of this is

$\displaystyle O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}-(\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}-\ens...
....size()}})+1) = O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}+1) \enspace .$ (2.2)

Notice that the first case (2.1) occurs when $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}<\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$. The second case (2.2) occurs when $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}\ge 3\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$. When $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4\le\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}<3\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$, we cannot be sure whether the operation affects $ \mathtt{front}$ or $ \mathtt{back}$, but in either case, the operation takes $ O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}})=O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}})=O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}})$ time, since $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}\ge \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$ and $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}>
\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$. Summarizing the situation, we have

   Running time of $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{add(i,x)}} \le
\left\{\begin{array}{ll}
O(...
... $\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}} \ge 3\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$}
\end{array}\right.
$

Thus, the running time of $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$, if we ignore the cost of the call to $ \mathtt{balance()}$, is $ O(1+\min\{\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}, \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}-\ensuremath{\mathtt{i}}\})$.

The $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ operation and its analysis resemble the $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ operation and analysis.

  T remove(int i) {
      T x;
      if (i < front.size()) {
              x = front.remove(front.size()-i-1);
      } else {
              x = back.remove(i-front.size());
      }
      balance();
      return x;
  }

2.5.1 Balancing

Finally, we turn to the $ \mathtt{balance()}$ operation performed by $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$. This operation ensures that neither $ \mathtt{front}$ nor $ \mathtt{back}$ becomes too big (or too small). It ensures that, unless there are fewer than two elements, each of $ \mathtt{front}$ and $ \mathtt{back}$ contain at least $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/4$ elements. If this is not the case, then it moves elements between them so that $ \mathtt{front}$ and $ \mathtt{back}$ contain exactly $ \lfloor\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2\rfloor$ elements and $ \lceil\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2\rceil$ elements, respectively.

  void balance() {
    if (3*front.size() < back.size()
        || 3*back.size() < front.size()) {
      int n = front.size() + back.size();
      int nf = n/2;
      array<T> af(max(2*nf, 1));
      for (int i = 0; i < nf; i++) {
        af[nf-i-1] = get(i);
      }
      int nb = n - nf;
      array<T> ab(max(2*nb, 1));
      for (int i = 0; i < nb; i++) {
        ab[i] = get(nf+i);
      }
      front.a = af;
      front.n = nf;
      back.a = ab;
      back.n = nb;
    }
  }

Here there is little to analyze. If the $ \mathtt{balance()}$ operation does rebalancing, then it moves $ O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}})$ elements and this takes $ O(\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}})$ time. This is bad, since $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is called with each call to $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$. However, the following lemma shows that, on average, $ \mathtt{balance()}$ only spends a constant amount of time per operation.

Lemma 2..2   If an empty $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ is created and any sequence of $ m\ge 1$ calls to $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ are performed, then the total time spent during all calls to $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is $ O(m)$.

Proof. We will show that, if $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is forced to shift elements, then the number of $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ operations since the last time any elements were shifted by $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is at least $ \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2-1$. As in the proof of Lemma 2.1, this is sufficient to prove that the total time spent by $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is $ O(m)$.

We will perform our analysis using a technique knows as the potential method. Define the potential, $ \Phi$, of the $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ as the difference in size between $ \mathtt{front}$ and $ \mathtt{back}$:

$\displaystyle \Phi = \vert\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}} - \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}\vert \enspace . $

The interesting thing about this potential is that a call to $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ or $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ that does not do any balancing can increase the potential by at most 1.

Observe that, immediately after a call to $ \mathtt{balance()}$ that shifts elements, the potential, $ \Phi_0$, is at most 1, since

$\displaystyle \Phi_0 = \left\vert\lfloor\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2\rfloor-\lceil\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2\rceil\right\vert\le 1 \enspace .$

Consider the situation immediately before a call to $ \mathtt{balance()}$ that shifts elements and suppose, without loss of generality, that $ \mathtt{balance()}$ is shifting elements because $ 3\ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}} < \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$. Notice that, in this case,

$\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}+\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$  
  $\displaystyle <$ $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}/3+\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$  
  $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$  

Furthermore, the potential at this point in time is
$\displaystyle \Phi_1$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}} - \ensuremath{\mathtt{front.size()}}$  
  $\displaystyle >$ $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}} - \ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}/3$  
  $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle \frac{2}{3}\ensuremath{\mathtt{back.size()}}$  
  $\displaystyle >$ $\displaystyle \frac{2}{3}\times\frac{3}{4}\ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}$  
  $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2$  

Therefore, the number of calls to $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ or $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ since the last time $ \mathtt{balance()}$ shifted elements is at least $ \Phi_1-\Phi_0
> \ensuremath{\mathtt{n}}/2-1$. This completes the proof. $ \qedsymbol$

2.5.2 Summary

The following theorem summarizes the properties of a $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$:

Theorem 2..4   A $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ implements the $ \mathtt{List}$ interface. Ignoring the cost of calls to $ \mathtt{resize()}$ and $ \mathtt{balance()}$, a $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$ supports the operations Furthermore, beginning with an empty $ \mathtt{DualArrayDeque}$, any sequence of $ m$ $ \mathtt{add(i,x)}$ and $ \mathtt{remove(i)}$ operations results in a total of $ O(m)$ time spent during all calls to $ \mathtt{resize()}$ and $ \mathtt{balance()}$.

opendatastructures.org