Design and implementation of an efficient priority queue

Abstract

We present a data structure, based upon a hierarchically decomposed tree, which enables us to manipulate on-line a priority queue whose priorities are selected from the interval 1,⋯, n with a worst case processing time of {Mathematical expression} (log log n) per instruction. The structure can be used to obtain a mergeable heap whose time requirements are about as good. Full details are explained based upon an implementation of the structure in a PASCAL program contained in the paper. © 1977 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.