leetcode 23. Merge k Sorted Lists

1.题目

Merge k sorted linked lists and return it as one sorted list. Analyze and describe its complexity.

将k个有序链表合并成一个有序链表。

2.思路 

自然而然的联想到前面的merge 2 sorted lists.

第一次想法是，将链表逐个比较合并，结果自然而然的超时了。

class Solution {  
public:
ListNode* mergeTwoLists(ListNode* a, ListNode* b) {  
        ListNode* p1 = a;  
        ListNode* p2 = b;  
        ListNode* newhead = new ListNode(-1);  
        ListNode* c = newhead;  
        while(p1&&p2){  
            if(p1->val < p2->val){  
                c->next = p1;  
                c = c->next;  
                p1=p1->next;  
            }  
            else{  
                c->next = p2;  
                c=c->next;  
                p2 = p2->next;  
            }  
        }  
        while(p1){c->next = p1;p1 = p1->next;c = c->next;}  
        while(p2){c->next = p2;p2 = p2->next;c = c->next;}  
        return newhead->next;  
    }  
    ListNode* mergeKLists(vector<ListNode*>& lists) {
        if(lists.size() == 0) return NULL;
        if(lists.size() == 1) return lists[0];
        ListNode* ans = lists[0];
        for(int i = 1; i < lists.size(); i++){
            mergeTwoLists(ans,lists[i]);
        }
        return ans;
    }
};

接着，对以上代码做了改进，不能逐个比较，太费时间了。联想到归并排序。。。

class Solution {  // Runtime: 376 ms
public:
    ListNode* mergeTwoLists(ListNode* a, ListNode* b) {
        if(a==NULL) return b;
        if(b==NULL) return a;
        ListNode* p1 = a;
        ListNode* p2 = b;
        ListNode* newhead = new ListNode(-1);
        ListNode* c = newhead;
        while(p1&&p2){
            if(p1->val < p2->val){
                c->next = p1;
                c = c->next;
                p1=p1->next;
            }
            else{
                c->next = p2;
                c=c->next;
                p2 = p2->next;
            }
        }
        while(p1){c->next = p1;p1 = p1->next;c = c->next;}
        while(p2){c->next = p2;p2 = p2->next;c = c->next;}
        return newhead->next;
    }
    ListNode* mergeKLists(vector<ListNode*>& lists) {
        if (lists.empty()) return NULL;
        int n = lists.size();
        while (n > 1) {
            for (int i = 0; i < n / 2; i++)
                lists[i] = mergeTwoLists(lists[i], lists[n - 1 - i]);
            n = (n + 1) / 2;
        }
        return lists[0];
    }
};