Merging of sorted lists using array pair

摘要

The formulation of a merged sorted list from multiple input sorted lists in multiple phases using an array pair. Initially, the first array is contiguously populated with the input sorted lists. In the first phase, the first and second input sorted lists are merged into a first intermediary merged list within the second array. Each subsequent phase merges a prior intermediary merged list resulting from the prior phase and, a next input sorted list in the first array to generate a next intermediary merged list, or a merged sorted list if there or no further input in the first array. The intermediary merged lists alternate between the first array and the second array from one phase to the next phase.

主权项

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising an act of merging a plurality of sorted lists to form a merged sorted list, the act merging the plurality of sorted lists comprising:
an act representing a first sorted list and a second sorted list contiguously in a first plurality of elements in a first array in memory an act of establishing a first input cursor at the first element in the first sorted list in the first array; an act of establishing a second input cursor at the first element in the second sorted list in the first array; an act of formulating a second array in memory, the second array including at least a portion that includes a second plurality of elements equal in number to the first plurality of elements; an act of sequentially assigning values to the elements of the second plurality of elements to thereby formulated a first merged sorted list of the first and second sorted lists, the act of sequentially assigning comprising performing the following for each of the first element through a subsequent element in the secondary plurality of elements:
an act of comparing a value at an element pointed to by the first input cursor with a value at the element pointed to by the second input cursor;if the value at the element pointed to by the first input cursor satisfies a sorting priority with respect to the value at the element pointed to by the second input cursor; an act of populating the corresponding element of the second plurality of elements with the value at the element pointed to by the first input cursor; and an act of moving the first input cursor to a next element in the first sorted list of the first plurality of elements if there are any further elements in the first sorted list, and if there are not any further elements in the first sorted list, the corresponding element of the second plurality of elements is the subsequent element of the second plurality of elements, and thus the method further includes an act of further populating a remainder of the second plurality of elements with any remaining unprocessed elements of the second sorted list from an element pointed to by the second input cursor; andif the value at the element pointed to by the first input cursor does not satisfy a sorting priority with respect to the value at the element pointed to by the second input cursor; an act of populating the corresponding element of the second plurality of elements with the value at the element pointed to by the second input cursor; and an act of moving the second input cursor to a next element in the second sorted list of the first plurality of elements if there are any further elements in the second sorted list, and if there are not any further elements in the second sorted list, the corresponding element of the second plurality of elements is the subsequent element of the second plurality of elements, and thus the method further includes an act of further populating a remainder of the second plurality of elements with any remaining unprocessed elements of the first sorted list from an element pointed to by the first input cursor.