Merge k Sorted Lists

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

Example:

Input:
[
  1->4->5,
  1->3->4,
  2->6
]
Output: 1->1->2->3->4->4->5->6

思路1： 用priorityQueue，跟站队一样，每次取队伍的第一个，然后取走后，后面的补上；O(Nlogk)

/**
 * Definition for singly-linked list.
 * public class ListNode {
 *     int val;
 *     ListNode next;
 *     ListNode() {}
 *     ListNode(int val) { this.val = val; }
 *     ListNode(int val, ListNode next) { this.val = val; this.next = next; }
 * }
 */
class Solution {
    public ListNode mergeKLists(ListNode[] lists) {
        PriorityQueue<ListNode> pq = new PriorityQueue<ListNode>((a, b) -> (a.val - b.val));
        for(ListNode node: lists) {
            if(node != null) {
                pq.offer(node);
            }
        }
        
        ListNode dummpy = new ListNode(-1);
        ListNode cur = dummpy;
        while(!pq.isEmpty()) {
            ListNode node = pq.poll();
            cur.next = node;
            cur = node;
            if(node.next != null) {
                pq.offer(node.next);
            }
        }
        return dummpy.next;
    }
}

思路2：divide and conquer，这个非常有效果；O(NlogK)

别忘记 start == end 的 base情况；

/**
 * Definition for singly-linked list.
 * public class ListNode {
 *     int val;
 *     ListNode next;
 *     ListNode() {}
 *     ListNode(int val) { this.val = val; }
 *     ListNode(int val, ListNode next) { this.val = val; this.next = next; }
 * }
 */
class Solution {
    public ListNode mergeKLists(ListNode[] lists) {
        if(lists == null || lists.length == 0) {
            return null;
        }
        return mergeK(lists, 0, lists.length - 1);
    }
    
    private ListNode mergeK(ListNode[] lists, int start, int end) {
        if(start > end) {
            return null;
        }
        if(start == end) {
            return lists[start];
        }
        int mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
        ListNode l1 = mergeK(lists, start, mid);
        ListNode l2 = mergeK(lists, mid + 1, end);
        return mergeTwoLists(l1, l2);
    }
    
    public ListNode mergeTwoLists(ListNode list1, ListNode list2) {
        ListNode dummpy = new ListNode(-1);
        ListNode cur = dummpy;
        
        while(list1 != null && list2 != null) {
            if(list1.val < list2.val) {
                cur.next = list1;
                list1 = list1.next;
            } else {
                cur.next = list2;
                list2 = list2.next;
            }
            cur = cur.next;
        }
        if(list1 != null) {
            cur.next = list1;
        }
        if(list2 != null) {
            cur.next = list2;
        }
        return dummpy.next;
    }
}