What are the differences between AVL trees and binary search trees?

What are the differences between AVL trees and binary search trees?

AVL trees are a type of self-balancing binary search tree. The main difference is that AVL trees maintain a strict balance, ensuring that the heights of the two child subtrees of any node differ by at most one. This leads to faster search times in AVL trees compared to regular binary search trees, which can become unbalanced.

Can you explain how the balancing works in AVL trees?

Sure! In AVL trees, after every insertion or deletion, the tree checks the balance factor of each node. The balance factor is the difference in heights between the left and right subtrees. If the balance factor is greater than 1 or less than -1, the tree performs rotations (single or double) to restore balance.

What are the advantages of using AVL trees over binary search trees?

The main advantages of AVL trees include faster search times due to their balanced nature, which guarantees O(log n) time complexity for search, insertion, and deletion operations. This makes them more efficient for applications where frequent insertions and deletions occur.

Are there any disadvantages to using AVL trees?

Yes, AVL trees can be more complex to implement and maintain due to the balancing operations. Additionally, they may have slightly slower insertion and deletion times compared to unbalanced binary search trees because of the extra rotations required to maintain balance.