This paper is a first step towards an understanding of the inherent limitations of distributed data structures. We propose a model of distributed search trees that is based on few natural assumptions. We prove that any class of trees within our model satisfies a lower bound of J?(ym) on the worst case height of distributed search trees for m keys. That is, unlike in the single site case, balance in the sense that the tree height satisfies a logarithmic upper bound cannot be achieved. This is true although each node is allowed to have arbitrary degree (note that in this case, the height of a single site search tree is trivially bounded by one). By proposing a method that generates trees of height 0(y/m), we show the bound to be tight.
CITATION STYLE
Kröll, B., & Widmayer, P. (1995). Balanced distributed search trees do not exist. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics) (Vol. 955, pp. 50–61). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-60220-8_50
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