Why Splaying Helps

• If a node n on the access path is at depth d before the splay, it’s at about depth d/2 after the splay

  • Exceptions are the root, the child of the root, and the node splayed

• Overall, nodes which are below nodes on the access path tend to move closer to the root

• Splaying gets amortized O(log n) performance. (Maybe not now, but soon, and for the rest of the operations.)

Previous slide

Next slide

Back to first slide

View graphic version