How do I implement a max heap in Python?

How do I implement a max heap in Python?

To implement a max heap in Python, you can use a list to represent the heap. The parent-child relationship can be managed using indices.

Can you show me the code for inserting an element into the max heap?

Sure! Here's a simple function to insert an element:

def insert(heap, element):
    heap.append(element)
    index = len(heap) - 1
    while index > 0:
        parent = (index - 1) // 2
        if heap[parent] < heap[index]:
            heap[parent], heap[index] = heap[index], heap[parent]
            index = parent
        else:
            break

What about removing the maximum element?

To remove the maximum element, you can swap the root with the last element, remove it, and then heapify down:

def remove_max(heap):
    if len(heap) == 0:
        return None
    max_element = heap[0]
    heap[0] = heap[-1]
    heap.pop()
    heapify_down(heap, 0)
    return max_element

Can you explain the heapify down function?

Certainly! The heapify_down function ensures the max heap property is maintained after removing the root. It compares the node with its children and swaps it with the larger child if necessary.