What are the different tree traversal algorithms and how do they compare?

What are the different tree traversal algorithms and how do they compare?

The main tree traversal algorithms are in-order, pre-order, and post-order. In-order visits nodes in left-root-right order, pre-order visits root-left-right, and post-order visits left-right-root. Each has its use cases depending on the application.

Can you explain when to use each traversal method?

Sure! Use in-order for sorted output of binary search trees, pre-order for copying trees, and post-order for deleting trees.

What are the time complexities of these algorithms?

All three algorithms have a time complexity of O(n), where n is the number of nodes in the tree, since they visit each node once.

Are there any other traversal methods I should know about?

Yes, there's level-order traversal, which visits nodes level by level, and depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS) are also important concepts related to tree traversal.