An o(1) time algorithm for generating multiset permutations

Abstract

We design an algorithm that generates multiset permutati- ons in O(1) time from permutation to permutations, using only data structures of arrays. The previous O(1) time algorithm used pointers, causing O(n) time to access an element in a permutation, where n is the size of permutations. The central idea in our algorithm is tree traversal. We associate permutations with the leaves of a tree. By traversing this tree, going up and down and making changes when necessary, we spend O(1) time from permutation to permutation. Permutations are generated in a one-dimensional array.