In general, the worse case scenario when searching through a data set is when the datum being searched for doesn’t exist. In this case, the complete data storage needs to be searched before it’s possible to conclude that the datum cannot be found. If only there was a way to eliminate the need to perform unnecessary searches when we know the data won’t be found. Fortunately, there is a data structure that allows you to do just that. This data structure is knows as a “Bloom Filter”.
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Tag: algorithms
Functional programming using bind
Since the introduction of the STL (Standard Template Library) the use of functors has been a prevalent part of writing C++. Most of the STL algorithms require the use of a functor. For example, the std::transform requires a function object that, given an input of the current value of the current position, it will return a new value what will be used to modify the current value.
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Lowest Common Ancestor (non-BST)
In the earlier article, Lowest Common Ancestor (BST), I discussed how you can use the special ordering of a Binary Search Tree to quickly and easily identify the Lowest Common Ancestor of two nodes. Of course, not all trees are BSTs and so in this article we’ll look at a way of finding the LCA in a non-BST. Continue reading “Lowest Common Ancestor (non-BST)”
Lowest Common Ancestor (BST)
The Binary Search Tree (BST) is a tree like data structure that allows for the quick lookup of data. They work by storing inserted data in a tree like structure that uses the “divide and conquer” approach to locate data. Each node in the tree has, at most, two children. The left hand side (lhs) node will always contain a value that is less than it’s parent. The right hand side (rhs) node will always contain a value that is greater-than or equal to it’s parent.
Variadic Functions the C++11 way
The C++11 standard introduced so called Variadic Templates. These have many uses, one of which is the ability to write functions that take any number of arguments without having to mess around with C-style non-type safe “var-args” and printf like format specifiers.
Down-casting re-visited
In my previous article I discussed the difference between up-cast and down-cast and explained why down-casting is rarely a good idea (or even necessary). That said, there are a few times when down-casting is valid and so this article shows how to do so, safely, in C++.
LRU Cache Implementation
One of the problems any developer will eventually have to resolve is one of latency; specifically, being able to retrieve and process data in a timely fashion. This issue can come in many guises but they generally manifest as needing to read data from a backing store that cannot deliver the high performance needed by the application. This can be a tricky problem to solve but the general method is to implement some form of caching. The remainder of this article will discuss one caching mechanism, called the LRU Cache.
Geo-indexing problem
Imaging you have a map and on that map you define a bunch of geo-locations; polygons, which are defined by their vertices as latitude and longitude co-ordinates. These geo-locations may overlap and may either be very big or very small (or in-between). The problem is to figure out, for any point on the map, which of these geo-locations bound it.
Meta Template Programming – where to start?
A good friend of my asked me how to get started in meta-template programming. Of course, the first thing is to know C++ and know it well. Other than that, I think my best advise is to ensure you completely understand how the C++ template generation process works. For example, if you don’t know what SFINAE stands for you’re probably not really to start writing meta-templates (of course, that doesn’t mean you are not ready to start learning).
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Set union problem
Today I had the privilege of a job interview with one of the leading companies in the online streaming music space. I’d like to think the interview went well, although I was incredibly nervous and my brain decided it was going to operate in a way that suggested it was wading through treacle; but I digress. During the interview I was asked an algorithmic question and I have to admit I was initially quite flummoxed. This post is about that question. Continue reading “Set union problem”
evilrix 