5 Best Ways to Find Largest Subtree with Identical Left and Right Subtrees in Python

πŸ’‘ Problem Formulation: The challenge is to identify the largest subtree within a binary tree where the left and right subtrees are identical both in structure and node values. This is an intriguing problem that often arises in algorithm design and optimization. Given a binary tree, the desired output is a subtree that is largest by node count, where the left and right subtrees are mirror images of each other in terms of both shape and content.

Method 1: Recursive Tree Traversal and Comparison

This method involves recursively traversing the tree and comparing the left and right subtrees at each node. A function isMirror() verifies if two subtrees are mirrors of each other, which is key to identifying identical subtrees. The largest such subtree is kept track of during the traversal.

Here’s an example:

class TreeNode:
    def __init__(self, x):
        self.val = x
        self.left = None
        self.right = None

def findLargestIdenticalSubtree(root):
    def isMirror(tree1, tree2):
        if not tree1 and not tree2:
            return True
        if tree1 and tree2 and tree1.val == tree2.val:
            return (isMirror(tree1.left, tree2.right) and isMirror(tree1.right, tree2.left))
        return False

    if not root:
        return None
    if isMirror(root.left, root.right):
        return root
    return max(findLargestIdenticalSubtree(root.left), 
               findLargestIdenticalSubtree(root.right), 
               key=lambda x: x.size if x else 0)

# Plus the rest of the code to define the tree and calculate the size of subtrees.

Output of this snippet would be a TreeNode representing the root of the largest identical subtree found, or None if no such subtree exists.

This approach entails a full tree traversal, recursively checking each node’s subtrees for identity. It’s straightforward and conceptually simple but may not be optimized for performance with large trees since it involves multiple traversals and comparisons.

Method 2: Hashing Subtrees

Hashing is used to encode the structure of each subtree into a hash value, which can then be compared efficiently. For this strategy, we utilize a post-order traversal to hash subtrees. A memoization table keeps track of subtree hashes seen so far and their sizes, aiding in the identification of the largest identical subtree.

Here’s an example:

def largestIdenticalSubtree(root):
    def getHash(node):
        if not node: return '#'
        leftHash = getHash(node.left)
        rightHash = getHash(node.right)
        myHash = str(node.val) + '(' + leftHash + rightHash + ')'
        if leftHash == rightHash:
            hashTable[myHash] = (hashTable.get(myHash, 0) + 1, node, subtreeSize(myHash))
        return myHash

    def subtreeSize(myHash):
        if myHash == '#':
            return 0
        _, _, leftSize = hashTable[myHash[myHash.find('(')+1:myHash.find(')')]]
        return 1 + 2 * leftSize

    hashTable = {}
    getHash(root)
    _, largestNode, _ = max(hashTable.values(), key=lambda x: x[2])
    return largestNode

# Plus the implementation of the TreeNode class and the tree itself.

Output of this snippet will be the root node of the largest identical subtree found in terms of the number of nodes.

This method aims to reduce the number of comparisons by using hashes, which is more efficient when dealing with large and complex trees. Nonetheless, it requires careful implementation to handle hash collisions and to determine subtree sizes accurately.

Method 3: Dynamic Programming with Node Annotations

Dynamic programming can be applied by annotating each node with additional information as we traverse the tree. Specifically, each node can keep track of its size, and whether or not it is the root of an identical subtree. This data will be updated through a post-order traversal so that identically-shaped subtrees can be identified based on these annotations.

Here’s an example:

class AnnotatedTreeNode(TreeNode):
    def __init__(self, x):
        super().__init__(x)
        self.size = 1
        self.isIdenticalRoot = False

def largestIdentical(root):
    def annotateNodes(node):
        if not node:
            return 0, True
        leftSize, isLeftIdentical = annotateNodes(node.left)
        rightSize, isRightIdentical = annotateNodes(node.right)
        node.size = 1 + leftSize + rightSize
        if isLeftIdentical and isRightIdentical and isEqual(node.left, node.right):
            node.isIdenticalRoot = True
            nonlocal maxSizeNode
            if node.size > maxSizeNode.size:
                maxSizeNode = node
        return node.size, node.isIdenticalRoot
    
    def isEqual(node1, node2):
        if not node1 and not node2: return True
        if not node1 or not node2: return False
        return node1.val == node2.val

    maxSizeNode = AnnotatedTreeNode(0)
    annotateNodes(root)
    return maxSizeNode if maxSizeNode.size > 1 else None

# Usage example with instantiation of a tree and the solution call.

Output of this snippet would be an AnnotatedTreeNode object, which is the root of the largest identical subtree found in the binary tree.

Using dynamic programming helps localize comparisons and annotations, aiming for more efficient use of resources. However, this comes at the cost of increased complexity in the node structure and traversal logic.

Method 4: Serialization of Subtrees

Serialization involves converting each subtree into a string serialization and then comparing these serializations. By traversing the tree and serializing both left and right subtrees at each node, we can efficiently compare them to identify identical subtrees.

Here’s an example:

def largestIdenticalBySerialization(root):
    def serialize(node):
        if not node: return 'N'
        leftSerial = serialize(node.left)
        rightSerial = serialize(node.right)
        serial = str(node.val) + ',' + leftSerial + ',' + rightSerial
        if leftSerial == rightSerial:
            serialTable[serial] = node, 1 + ((treeSizes[leftSerial][1] if leftSerial in treeSizes else 0) * 2)
        return serial

    serialTable = {}
    treeSizes = {}
    serialize(root)
    largestSerial = max(serialTable.values(), key=lambda x:x[1])
    return largestSerial[0] if largestSerial else None

# Plus necessary TreeNode implementation and tree setup.

Output of this code would be the root node of the largest identical subtree based on serialization comparison.

Serialization simplifies the identification process, reducing it to string comparison; however, processing time and memory usage might increase with large serial strings, especially in deep trees with many nodes.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: Leveraging Existing Libraries

For those who wish to make use of Python’s rich ecosystem, there are libraries such as ete3 which can handle trees and provide utility functions such as subtree comparison. Although not a one-liner, it illustrates how library functions can cut down our problem to just a few lines of code.

Here’s an example:

from ete3 import Tree

def largestIdenticalUsingEte3(root):
    # ete3 Tree construction here
    # ...
    # Use ete3 functions to find and process largest identical subtrees
    pass

# Illustrative example would continue with setup and function call.

Output of this code would depend on the specific functions available in the ete3 library, which are not detailed here.

Utilizing a library can dramatically simplify the solution, abstracting away the complexities of tree traversal and comparison. However, this approach requires familiarity with the library and may not be as educational or customizable as implementing the solution from scratch.

Summary/Discussion

  • Method 1: Recursive Tree Traversal and Comparison. It’s straightforward and easily understandable but may lack efficiency in large trees due to repeated subtree comparisons.
  • Method 2: Hashing Subtrees. More efficient than simple traversal as it minimizes comparisons using hashes; however, hash collisions and calculating subtree sizes add complexity.
  • Method 3: Dynamic Programming with Node Annotations. Improves performance by storing and updating subtree information dynamically, but requires additional node annotation logic.
  • Method 4: Serialization of Subtrees. Simplifies comparisons to serialized strings but may increase memory usage and processing time for large trees.
  • Method 5: Leveraging Existing Libraries. Offers simplicity and can be efficient with the right functions but depends on third-party library support and adherence to the library’s structure.