This paper introduces a new data-structural object that we call the tiny pointer. In many applications, traditional log n-bit pointers can be replaced with o(log n)-bit tiny pointers at the cost of only a constant-factor time overhead and a small probability of failure. We develop a comprehensive theory of tiny pointers, and give optimal constructions for both fixed-size tiny pointers (i.e., settings in which all of the tiny pointers must be the same size) and variable-size tiny pointers (i.e., settings in which the average tiny-pointer size must be small, but some tiny pointers can be larger). If a tiny pointer references an element in an array filled to load factor 1 — δ, then the optimal tiny-pointer size is Θ(log log log n + log δ-1) bits in the fixed-size case, and Θ(log δ-1) expected bits in the variable-size case. Our tiny-pointer constructions also require us to revisit several classic problems having to do with balls and bins; these results may be of independent interest. Using tiny pointers, we revisit five classic data-structure problems. We show that: • A data structure storing n v-bit values for n keys with constant-time modifications/queries can be implemented to take space nv + O(n log(r) n) bits, for any constant r > 0, as long as the user stores a tiny pointer of expected size O(1) with each key—here, log(r) n is the r-th iterated logarithm. • Any binary search tree can be made succinct with constant-factor time overhead, and can even be made to be within O(n) bits of optimal if we allow for O(log* n)-time modifications—this holds even for rotation-based trees such as the splay tree and the red-black tree. • Any fixed-capacity key-value dictionary can be made stable (i.e., items do not move once inserted) with constant-time overhead and 1 + o(1) space overhead. • Any key-value dictionary that requires uniform-size values can be made to support arbitrary-size values with constant-time overhead and with an additional space consumption of log(r) n + O(log j) bits per j-bit value for an arbitrary constant r > 0 of our choice. • Given an external-memory array A of size (1 + ε)n containing a dynamic set of up to n key-value pairs, it is possible to maintain an internal-memory stash of size O(n log ε-1) bits so that the location of any key-value pair in A can be computed in constant time (and with no IOs). These are all well studied and classic problems, and in each case tiny pointers allow for us to take a natural space-inefficient solution that uses pointers and make it space-efficient for free.
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The Likely Maximum Size of Twin Subtrees in a Large Random Tree
We call a pair of vertex-disjoint, induced subtrees of a rooted tree twins if they have the same counts of vertices by out-degrees. The likely maximum size of twins in a uniformly random, rooted Cayley tree of size n → ∞ is studied. It is shown that the expected number of twins of √ size (2 + δ) log n · log log n approaches zero, while the expected number √ of twins of size (2 − δ) log n · log log n approaches infinity.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2206241
- PAR ID:
- 10535585
- Editor(s):
- Springer
- Publisher / Repository:
- Ann. Comb.
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Annals of Combinatorics
- Edition / Version:
- Online
- ISSN:
- 0218-0006
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Random Tree Asymptotics
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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