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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #9713

Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing

From Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li>
Newsgroups comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing
Date 2011-11-07 01:01 +0000
Organization Stack Usenet News Service
Message-ID <alpine.DEB.2.00.1111070037450.4201@urchin.earth.li> (permalink)
References (8 earlier) <UCvtq.20364$Cr1.10065@newsfe03.iad> <j961n4$uts$1@news.albasani.net> <slrnjbd6fu.fvg.avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> <CADC63E1.8F1D%bravegag@hotmail.com> <j96aql$n73$1@news.albasani.net>

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On Sun, 6 Nov 2011, Jan Burse wrote:

> Somebody here, who could throw a spot light on how they do a Queue?

I can tell you how i do an O(1), well-sharing queue:

public final class ImmutableQueue<E> {

 	private static class Link<E> {

 		public final E element;
 		public final Link<E> next;

 		public Link(E element, Link<E> next) {
 			this.element = element;
 			this.next = next;
 		}

 	}

 	private final Link<E> head;
 	private final Link<E> tail;
 	private final Link<Link<E>> tuft;

 	private ImmutableQueue(Link<E> head, Link<E> tail, Link<Link<E>> tuft) {
 		assert (tuft == null) || (tuft.element.next == tail);
 		this.head = head;
 		this.tail = tail;
 		this.tuft = tuft;
 	}

 	private ImmutableQueue(Link<E> element) {
 		this(element, element, null);
 	}

 	public ImmutableQueue() {
 		this(null);
 	}

 	public boolean isEmpty() {
 		return head == null;
 	}

 	public int size() {
 		if (isEmpty()) return 0;
 		int size = 1;
 		Link<E> link = head;
 		while (link != tail) {
 			++size;
 			link = link.next;
 		}
 		return size;
 	}

 	public ImmutableQueue<E> enqueue(E element) {
 		Link<E> enqueued = new Link<E>(element, head);
 		if (isEmpty()) return new ImmutableQueue<E>(enqueued);
 		else return new ImmutableQueue<E>(enqueued, tail, null);
 	}

 	public ImmutableQueue<E> dequeue(E[] holder) {
 		ImmutableQueue<E> queue;

 		if (head == null) {
 			throw new NoSuchElementException();
 		}
 		else if (head == tail) {
 			queue = new ImmutableQueue<E>();
 		}
 		else {
 			Link<Link<E>> tuft = this.tuft;
 			if (tuft == null) {
 				tuft = backcomb();
 				assert tuft.element.next == tail;
 			}
 			queue = new ImmutableQueue<E>(head, tuft.element, tuft.next);
 		}

 		holder[0] = tail.element;
 		return queue;
 	}

 	private Link<Link<E>> backcomb() {
 		Link<Link<E>> tuft = null;
 		Link<E> link = head;
 		while (link != tail) {
 			tuft = new Link<Link<E>>(link, tuft);
 			link = link.next;
 		}
 		return tuft;
 	}

}

I'm sure it's obvious what's going on here.

But if not: the core of it is a normal immutable linked list, growing at 
the enqueue end. Dequeue is handled by tracking a tail pointer, and 
pretending that links past the tail don't exist (rather than treating a 
null next pointer as defining the end as usual). There is then an 
antiparallel linked list (rooted in 'tuft' - extending the 'tail' metaphor 
a bit), starting just before the tail and running back to the head; this 
list essentially turns the list into a doubly-linked list, and so allows 
efficient dequeues.

Keeping that list accurate at all times would be expensive, so instead, it 
is constructed when needed, ie when we need to dequeue and we don't have 
it. Note that when it is constructed, it reaches all the way back to the 
head, but as more elements are enqueued, the head moves away from its 
tail, leaving it only partially covering the queue. That's fine: we only 
use it to find the link before the tail, so we don't need it to go far. 
When we've dequeued enough elements to have worn it down completely, we 
rebuild it.

Enqueueing is obviously O(1). Dequeueing is O(1) if you don't need to 
rebuild the backwards list. If you do need to rebuild the backwards list, 
it's O(n); you will then not need to rebuild for another n dequeues, which 
makes it amortatively O(1).

In terms of sharing, all the forward links are shared. Backwards links 
will be shared too, but if two separate lineages of queues both have to 
rebuild the backwards list, the links will not be shared, even though 
they are identical. Consider:

ImmutableQueue noah; // has one backward link remaining
ImmutableQueue shem = noah.dequeue(holder);
ImmutableQueue ham = noah.dequeue(holder);
// shem and ham are identical
ImmutableQueue elam = shem.dequeue(holder);
ImmutableQueue cush = ham.dequeue(holder);
// elam and cush are identical, but have separate backward lists

In terms of packratting, backwards lists become garbage, but the links in 
forward lists never do. You could always walk from any head right back yea 
even unto the first tail. I think that's hard to avoid in an immutable 
structure.

Also, i think i've just grokked what that C# dude's half-backwards list is 
all about. It's like this, but throwing away the forwards list when you 
make the backwards list, which saves memory and lets forward list links 
become garbage. Clever stuff.

tom

-- 
FRUIT FUCKER has joined the party!

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Thread

Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 04:03 +0100
  Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 12:42 +0100
    Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing markspace <-@.> - 2011-11-05 09:35 -0700
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 19:33 +0100
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 14:42 -0400
          Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 19:52 +0100
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-11-05 19:32 +0000
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 15:31 -0400
              Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 20:50 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 16:26 -0400
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 21:35 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 21:38 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 16:59 -0400
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 22:06 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-05 16:41 -0400
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 21:42 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 17:11 -0400
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-05 16:20 -0400
              Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 21:33 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-05 16:38 -0400
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 21:41 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing markspace <-@.> - 2011-11-05 17:20 -0700
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-11-05 22:13 -0300
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing markspace <-@.> - 2011-11-05 20:05 -0700
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 10:27 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 10:14 +0100
    Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-11-05 10:06 -0700
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Peter Duniho <NpOeStPeAdM@NnOwSlPiAnMk.com> - 2011-11-05 10:55 -0700
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 19:30 +0100
          Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-05 18:16 -0400
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 23:20 +0100
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 23:38 +0100
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-11-05 17:47 -0300
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Peter Duniho <NpOeStPeAdM@NnOwSlPiAnMk.com> - 2011-11-05 14:26 -0700
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-05 16:14 -0400
  Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Peter Duniho <NpOeStPeAdM@NnOwSlPiAnMk.com> - 2011-11-05 14:35 -0700
    Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 22:42 +0100
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 22:50 +0100
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Peter Duniho <NpOeStPeAdM@NnOwSlPiAnMk.com> - 2011-11-05 14:51 -0700
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 22:58 +0100
          Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 23:03 +0100
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-05 23:07 +0100
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2011-11-06 09:44 +0200
              Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 10:22 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-11-06 09:05 -0400
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 14:16 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 14:22 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-11-06 14:30 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 16:02 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 16:08 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-06 16:18 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 16:54 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-06 17:31 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 22:33 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-06 16:47 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-06 16:58 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-11-07 01:01 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-11-06 17:26 -0800
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-11-07 23:45 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-11-06 14:44 -0800
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-06 17:51 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 01:28 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-06 19:50 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 02:13 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-06 20:20 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-11-06 17:29 -0800
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 11:22 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-11-06 23:02 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 00:32 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 01:10 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-11-07 10:24 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 11:52 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-11-07 11:12 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-11-07 17:24 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Giovanni Azua <bravegag@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-07 02:08 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 05:03 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 05:13 +0100
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-11-07 23:38 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> - 2011-11-09 22:06 +0000
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-09 18:02 -0800
  Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 00:28 +0100
    Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 00:39 +0100
      Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-11-06 20:57 -0400
        Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Jan Burse <janburse@fastmail.fm> - 2011-11-07 04:58 +0100
          Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Silvio Bierman <silvio@moc.com> - 2011-11-07 15:13 +0100
            Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Cthun <cthun_202@qmail.net.au> - 2011-11-07 12:54 -0500
              Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing "B1ll Gat3s" <wm.g4t3s@m1cr0s0f7.c0m> - 2011-11-07 18:07 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing B1ll Gat3s <wm.g4t3s@m1cr0s0f7.c0m> - 2011-11-07 22:07 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing "B1ll Gat3s" <wm.g4t3s@m1cr0s0f7.c0m> - 2011-11-08 00:17 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing thoolen <th00len@th0lenbot.thorium> - 2011-11-08 16:03 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Cthun <cthun_202@qmail.net.au> - 2011-11-08 15:49 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing "B1ll Gat3s" <wm.g4t3s@m1cr0s0f7.c0m> - 2011-11-08 18:01 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing thoolen <th00len@th0lenbot.thorium> - 2011-11-08 20:46 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing "Cthun" <cthun_202@qmail.net.au> - 2011-11-08 22:43 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing thoolen <th00len@th0lenbot.thorium> - 2011-11-09 08:28 -0500
                Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing thoolen <th00len@th0lenbot.thorium> - 2011-11-08 16:00 -0500
  Re: Immutable Datastructures with good Sharing Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2011-11-07 08:46 -0800

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