Merge k sorted linked lists and return it as one sorted list. Analyze and describe its complexity.
solution: 这道题是merge 2 sorted linked lists的扩展,从2-》K的问题,很多可以化为分治法(divide and conquer)求解。假设每个list都是n长度,那么最坏的时间复杂度是: O(logk * k * n).
/**
* Definition for singly-linked list.
* struct ListNode {
* int val;
* ListNode *next;
* ListNode(int x) : val(x), next(NULL) {}
* };
*/
class Solution {
public:
ListNode* mergeTwoLists(ListNode* l1, ListNode* l2) {
if(!l1 || l2 && l1->val > l2->val) swap(l1, l2);//l1 point to the small pointer.
if(l1) l1->next = mergeTwoLists(l1->next, l2);//if l1 is NULL, end.
return l1;
}
ListNode* mergeKLists(vector<ListNode*>& lists) {
if(lists.size() == 0)
return NULL;
if(lists.size() == 1)
return lists[0];
vector<ListNode*> v1(lists.begin(), lists.begin() + lists.size()/2);
vector<ListNode*> v2(lists.begin() + lists.size() / 2, lists.end());
ListNode* left = mergeKLists(v1);
ListNode* right = mergeKLists(v2);
//merge.
return mergeTwoLists(left, right);
}
};