Leetcode-98: Validate Binary Search Tree

Given a binary tree, determine if it is a valid binary search tree (BST).

Assume a BST is defined as follows:

• The left subtree of a node contains only nodes with keys less than the node's key.
• The right subtree of a node contains only nodes with keys greater than the node's key.
• Both the left and right subtrees must also be binary search trees.

Example 1:

    2
   / \
  1   3

Binary tree  [2,1,3], return true.

Example 2:

    1
   / \
  2   3

Binary tree  [1,2,3], return false.

验证一颗二叉树是否是搜索二叉树。（不允许重复键的二叉树）

标签：深度优先搜索。

思路：对于二叉树的深度优先搜索实际上就是先序遍历（preorder traversal）和中序遍历（inorder traversal），两者的入栈和出栈顺序是一样的，区别在于：遍历到节点A时，先序遍历先访问节点A，再遍历A的左子节点；中序遍历则先遍历左子节点，出栈后再访问节点A。

由于对于搜索二叉树来说，有一个特殊的性质，即中序遍历后的结果是升序的（这里需要注意，如果允许重复键的话，搜索二叉树要求左子树的键不大于根节点的键，此时无法直接用中序遍历来验证是否是搜索二叉树，因为无法区分l<= root < r和 l < root <= r）。

/**
 * Definition for a binary tree node.
 * public class TreeNode {
 *     int val;
 *     TreeNode left;
 *     TreeNode right;
 *     TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
 * }
 */
class Solution {
    private long prev = (long)Integer.MIN_VALUE - 1;
    
    public boolean isValidBST(TreeNode root) {
         return inorder(root);
    }
    
    private boolean inorder(TreeNode h) {
        if (h == null)
            return true;
        if (!inorder(h.left))
            return false;
        if (h.val > prev)
            prev = h.val;
        else
            return false;
        return inorder(h.right);
    }
}