STL-04 Algorithm Library | C++ Magicians STL Algorithm

Algorithm Library | C++ Magicians STL Algorithm

For all those who aspire to excel in competitive programming, only having a knowledge about containers of STL is of less use till one is not aware what all STL has to offer.
Some of the most used algorithms on vectors and most useful one’s in Competitive Programming are mentioned as follows :

Non-Manipulating Algorithms

1. sort(first_iterator, last_iterator) – To sort the given vector.
2. reverse(first_iterator, last_iterator) – To reverse a vector.
3. *max_element (first_iterator, last_iterator) – To find the maximum element of a vector.
4. *min_element (first_iterator, last_iterator) – To find the minimum element of a vector.
5. accumulate(first_iterator, last_iterator, initial value of sum) – Does the summation of vector elements

// A C++ program to demonstrate working of sort(), reverse()
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <numeric> //For accumulate operation
using namespace std;

int main() {
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {10, 20, 5, 23 ,42 , 15};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	cout << "Vector is: ";
	for (int i=0; i<n; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	// Sorting the Vector in Ascending order
	sort(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	cout << "\nVector after sorting is: ";
	for (int i=0; i<n; i++)
	cout << vect[i] << " ";

	// Reversing the Vector
	reverse(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	cout << "\nVector after reversing is: ";
	for (int i=0; i<6; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	cout << "\nMaximum element of vector is: ";
	cout << *max_element(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	cout << "\nMinimum element of vector is: ";
	cout << *min_element(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	// Starting the summation from 0
	cout << "\nThe summation of vector elements is: ";
	cout << accumulate(vect.begin(), vect.end(), 0);

	return 0;
}

Output

Vector is: 10 20 5 23 42 15 
Vector after sorting is: 5 10 15 20 23 42 
Vector after reversing is: 42 23 20 15 10 5 
Maximum element of vector is: 42
Minimum element of vector is: 5
The summation of vector elements is: 115

6. count(first_iterator, last_iterator,x) – To count the occurrences of x in vector.
7. find(first_iterator, last_iterator, x) – Returns an iterator to the first occurence of x in vector and points to last address of vector ((name_of_vector).end()) if element is not present in vector.

// C++ program to demonstrate working of count() and find()
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

int main() {
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {10, 20, 5, 23 ,42, 20, 15};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	cout << "Occurrences of 20 in vector : ";

	// Counts the occurrences of 20 from 1st to last element
	cout << count(vect.begin(), vect.end(), 20);

	// find() returns iterator to last address if element not present
	find(vect.begin(), vect.end(),5) != vect.end() ?
						cout << "\nElement found" :
					cout << "\nElement not found" ;
    //here <> ? <> : <> is a special operator with three operands a.k.a conditional operator
	return 0;
}

Output

Occurrences of 20 in vector : 2
Element found

8. binary_search (first_iterator, last_iterator, x) – Tests whether x exists in sorted vector or not.

9. lower_bound(first_iterator, last_iterator, x) – returns an iterator pointing to the first element in the range [first,last) which has a value not less than ‘x’.

10. upper_bound(first_iterator, last_iterator, x) – returns an iterator pointing to the first element in the range [first,last) which has a value greater than ‘x’.

// C++ program to demonstrate working of lower_bound()
// and upper_bound().
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

int main() {
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 23, 42, 45};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	// Sort the array to make sure that lower_bound()
	// and upper_bound() work.
	sort(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	// Returns the first occurrence of 20
	auto q = lower_bound(vect.begin(), vect.end(), 20);

	// Returns the last occurrence of 20
	auto p = upper_bound(vect.begin(), vect.end(), 20);

	cout << "The lower bound is at position: ";
	cout << q-vect.begin() << endl;

	cout << "The upper bound is at position: ";
	cout << p-vect.begin() << endl;

	return 0;
}

Output

The lower bound is at position: 3
The upper bound is at position: 5

Some Manipulating Algorithms

1. arr.erase(position to be deleted) – This erases selected element in vector and shifts and resizes the vector elements accordingly.
2. arr.erase(unique(arr.begin(),arr.end()),arr.end()) – This erases the duplicate occurrences in sorted vector in a single line.

// C++ program to demonstrate working of erase()
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 23, 42, 45};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	cout << "Vector is :";
	for (int i=0; i<6; i++)
		cout << vect[i]<<" ";

	// Delete second element of vector
	vect.erase(vect.begin()+1);

	cout << "\nVector after erasing the element: ";
	for (int i=0; i<5; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	// sorting to enable use of unique()
	sort(vect.begin(), vect.end());

	cout << "\nVector before removing duplicate "
			" occurrences: ";
	for (int i=0; i<5; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	// Deletes the duplicate occurrences
	vect.erase(unique(vect.begin(),vect.end()),vect.end());

	cout << "\nVector after deleting duplicates: ";
	for (int i=0; i< vect.size(); i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	return 0;
}

Output

Vector is :5 10 15 20 20 23 
Vector after erasing the element: 5 15 20 20 23 
Vector before removing duplicate  occurrences: 5 15 20 20 23 
Vector after deleting duplicates: 5 15 20 23 42 45 

3. next_permutation(first_iterator, last_iterator) – This modified the vector to its next permutation.

4. prev_permutation(first_iterator, last_iterator) – This modified the vector to its previous permutation.

// C++ program to demonstrate working of next_permutation() and prev_permutation()
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

int main() {
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 23, 42, 45};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	cout << "Given Vector is:\n";
	for (int i=0; i<n; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	// modifies vector to its next permutation order
	next_permutation(vect.begin(), vect.end());
	cout << "\nVector after performing
				next permutation:\n";
	for (int i=0; i<n; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	prev_permutation(vect.begin(), vect.end());
	cout << "\nVector after performing prev
							permutation:\n";
	for (int i=0; i<n; i++)
		cout << vect[i] << " ";

	return 0;
}

Output

Given Vector is:
5 10 15 20 20 23 42 45 
Vector after performing next permutation:
5 10 15 20 20 23 45 42 
Vector after performing prev permutation:
5 10 15 20 20 23 42 45 

5. distance(first_iterator,desired_position) – It returns the distance of desired position from the first iterator.This function is very useful while finding the index.

// C++ program to demonstrate working of distance()
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

int main() {
	// Initializing vector with array values
	int arr[] = {5, 10, 15, 20, 20, 23, 42, 45};
	int n = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);
	vector<int> vect(arr, arr+n);

	// Return distance of first to maximum element
	cout << "Distance between first to max element: ";
	cout << distance(vect.begin(), max_element(vect.begin(), vect.end()));
	return 0;
}

Output

Distance between first to max element: 7

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