[Leetcode]Merge k Sorted Lists

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

/**
 * Definition for singly-linked list.
 * struct ListNode {
 *     int val;
 *     ListNode *next;
 *     ListNode(int x) : val(x), next(NULL) {}
 * };
 */
class Solution {
public:
    /*algorithm, merge two list one by one
        1)for n list, merget 1,2 list ,get 1' list, 
        2)loop merge 1' list with n-1 list,
        assume each list k lenth, then two list merge time is O(2k)
        for n list, time O(nk) space O(1)
    */
    ListNode* mergeList(ListNode* l1,ListNode* l2)
    {
        ListNode dummy(0),*tail = &dummy;
        ListNode* node = NULL;
        while(l1 && l2){
            if(l1->val < l2->val){
                node = l1;
                l1 = l1->next;
                node->next = NULL;
            }else{
                node = l2;
                l2 = l2->next;
                node->next = NULL;
            }
            tail->next = node;
            tail = node;
        }
        
        while(l1){
            node = l1;
            l1=l1->next;
            node->next = NULL;
            tail->next = node;
            tail = node;
        }
        while(l2){
            node = l2;
            l2 = l2->next;
            node->next = NULL;
            tail->next = node;
            tail = node;
        }
        return dummy.next;
    }
    ListNode* mergeKLists(vector<ListNode*>& lists) {
            if(lists.size() < 1)return NULL;
            ListNode* ret = lists[0];
            for(int i = 1;i < lists.size();i++){
                ret = mergeList(ret,lists[i]);
            }
            return ret;
    }
};

class Solution {
public:
    /*algorithm, use min heap with k elements
    time O(nlogk),space O(k)
    */
    class myGreat{
    public:
        bool operator()(const ListNode* l1,const ListNode* l2){
            return l1->val > l2->val;
    }
    };
    ListNode* mergeKLists(vector<ListNode*>& lists) {
        priority_queue<ListNode*,vector<ListNode*>,myGreat>Q;//use min heap with Great<int> as comparator
        ListNode dummy(0),*tail=&dummy;
        int k = lists.size();
        //construct k  min heap
        for(int i = 0;i < k;i++){
            if(lists[i])Q.push(lists[i]);
        }
        //sort and pop the min element to sorted list
        while(!Q.empty()){
            ListNode* cur = Q.top();Q.pop();
            tail->next = cur;
            tail = tail->next;
            if(cur->next)Q.push(cur->next);
        }
        tail->next = NULL;
        return dummy.next;
    }
};