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Union-Find Algorithm

Algorithm

The pair of operations, union and find, that operate on a disjoint-set data structure, used with path compression and union by rank to answer connectivity queries and merge groups in nearly constant amortized time.

Facts
Origin Year
1964 1
Core Principle
Provides operations for adding new sets, merging sets, and finding a representative member of a set. 1
Connections

In Field

Sources
1. Disjoint-set data structure, Wikipedia
  • History
    Disjoint-set forests were first described by Bernard A. Galler and Michael J. Fischer in 1964.
  • Core Functionality
    It provides operations for adding new sets, merging sets (replacing them with their union), and finding a representative member of a set.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who first described the disjoint-set forests that the union-find algorithm relies on?

Bernard A. Galler and Michael J. Fischer first described disjoint-set forests in 1964.

Disjoint-set forests, the data structure behind the union-find algorithm, were first described by Bernard A. Galler and Michael J. Fischer in 1964.
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