Data structures are essential for computer science, as they provide a way to organize and store data efficiently. A heap data structure is a tree-based data structure that is widely used in computer science for its efficiency and versatility. In this article, we will explore the heap data structure in depth, including its properties, types, and applications.
Properties of Heap Data Structure
A heap data structure is a complete binary tree that satisfies the heap property. The heap property is that for every node in the heap, the key of the parent node is either greater than or equal to (in a max heap) or less than or equal to (in a min-heap) the keys of its children. This property ensures that the maximum (in a max heap) or minimum (in a min-heap) element is always at the root of the tree.