CPMagical CP Library

Problem solution · C++

Serialize and Deserialize BST

Serialize and Deserialize BST: a C++ solution using breadth-first search. Learn the idea, check the complexity, and read the full code, with credit to walkccc LeetCode Solutions.

Technique
Breadth-first search
Source
walkccc LeetCode Solutions
Length
50 lines
Start with the idea.

Try the problem first. If you get stuck, read the approach below, then write your own solution. The full code is at the bottom.

Approach

Breadth-first search

For Serialize and Deserialize BST, the implementation explores reachable states in layers, which is the standard shape for unweighted shortest paths and minimum-step transitions.

  1. Model each valid configuration as a state and each legal move as an edge.
  2. Seed the queue with the starting state and mark it immediately.
  3. Expand each state once, recording distance or reachability for unseen neighbours.

Code notes

  • 50 lines of C++ from the credited upstream file 449.cpp.
  • The implementation visibly relies on work queue.
  • 1 loop block detected.

Complexity

Verify that each state and transition is processed only a bounded number of times; that determines the traversal cost.

Check the problem constraints before deciding whether this complexity will pass.

Source

Code and credit

This code comes from walkccc LeetCode Solutions by P.-Y. Chen (walkccc) and is used under the MIT licence.

Open problem ↗Original source ↗
Full codeSerialize and Deserialize BST · C++C++
Use this to learn the idea, then write your own version.
class Codec { public:  // Encodes a tree to a single string.  string serialize(TreeNode* root) {    if (root == nullptr)      return "";    string s;    serialize(root, s);    return s;  }   // Decodes your encoded data to tree.  TreeNode* deserialize(string data) {    if (data.empty())      return nullptr;     istringstream iss(data);    queue<int> q;     for (string s; iss >> s;)      q.push(stoi(s));     return deserialize(INT_MIN, INT_MAX, q);  }  private:  void serialize(TreeNode* root, string& s) {    if (root == nullptr)      return;    s += to_string(root->val) + " ";    serialize(root->left, s);    serialize(root->right, s);  }   TreeNode* deserialize(int mn, int mx, queue<int>& q) {    if (q.empty())      return nullptr;     const int val = q.front();    if (val < mn || val > mx)      return nullptr;     q.pop();    TreeNode* root = new TreeNode(val);    root->left = deserialize(mn, val, q);    root->right = deserialize(val, mx, q);    return root;  }};

Keep practising

Did this explanation save you time? I'm a Grade 11 student building this free library to make difficult algorithms easier to understand.

Buy me a coffee ↗