What are the best techniques for deleting nodes in a binary search tree?

What are the best techniques for deleting nodes in a binary search tree?

There are three main techniques for deleting nodes in a binary search tree: deleting a leaf node, deleting a node with one child, and deleting a node with two children. Would you like to know more about each technique?

Yes, please explain how to delete a node with two children.

To delete a node with two children, you typically find its in-order successor (the smallest node in its right subtree) or its in-order predecessor (the largest node in its left subtree). You then replace the node to be deleted with this successor or predecessor and delete that node instead.

What if the node I want to delete is a leaf node?

If the node is a leaf, you can simply remove it from the tree without any further adjustments, as it has no children.

Are there any special cases I should be aware of?

Yes, when deleting nodes, always ensure to maintain the properties of the binary search tree. If you delete a node and it causes an imbalance, you may need to perform rotations or rebalancing.