AVL Tree Example
AVL trees are self-balancing binary search trees.
Each node of an AVL tree is assigned a balance factor as follows:
• -1 if the depth of the node’s left subtree is 1 more than the depth of the right
node’s left sub tree
• +1 if the depth of the node’s left sub tree is 1 more than the depth of the
right node’s left subtree
• 0 if both of the node’s subtrees has the same depths
• -2 if the depth of the node’s left subtree is 2 more than the depth of the right
node’s left sub tree
• +2 if the depth of the node’s left sub tree is 2 more than the depth of the
right node’s left subtree
• If the balance factor becomes -2 or +2, the tree must be rebalanced.
Next: Rotations -->
If the balance factor of a node in an AVL tree is +2 or -2, the node is rotated to re-
balance the tree using one of the four cases shown in the following picture:
The 4 cases of AVL tree rebalancing using rotations. Picture
created by Marc Tanti, licensed for reuse under the GNU
Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Next: example -->
Initial AVL tree with balance factors: Balance ok
0 57
0 26 +1 72
-1 25 0 38 0 63 -1 94
0 3 0 37 0 47 0 78
Next step: insert 1 -->
Insert 1 and recalculate balance factors Balance not ok
(Balance factor of
-1 57 -2 is not allowed)
-1 26 +1 72
-2 25 0 38 0 63 -1 94
-1 3 0 37 0 47 0 78
0 1
Next step: Find rebalancing case -->
Find rebalancing case Balance not ok
-1 57
-1 26 +1 72
Left Left Case
-2 25 0 38 0 63 -1 94
Pivot
-1 3 0 37 0 47 0 78
0 1
Next step: apply Left Left rebalancing -->
Rebalance and recalculate balance factors Balance ok
0 57
0 26 +1 72
0 3 0 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 0 37 0 47 0 78
Next step: insert 30 -->
Insert 30 and recalculate balance factors Balance ok
-1 57
+1 26 +1 72
0 3 -1 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 -1 37 0 47 0 78
0 30
Next step: Insert 32 -->
Insert 32 and recalculate balance factors Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 +1 72
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 -2 37 0 47 0 78
+1 30
0 32
Next step: Find rebalancing case -->
Find rebalancing case Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 +1 72
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 -2 37 0 47 0 78
+1 30
Left Right Case
0 32
Next step: Rebalance (Step 1) -->
Rebalance (Step 1) Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 +1 72
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 -2 37 0 78
0 47
-1 32
0 30
Next step: Rebalance (Step 2) -->
Rebalance (Step 2) and recalculate balance factors Balance ok
-1 57
+1 26 +1 72
0 3 -1 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 0 32 0 47 0 78
0 30 0 37
Next step: Insert 35 -->
Insert 35 and recalculate balance factors Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 +1 72
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 +1 32 0 47 0 78
0 30 -1 37
0 35
Next step: Find rebalancing case -->
Insert 35 Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 Start from first spot (from +1 72
bottom of tree) where
balance factor is incorrect.
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 +1 32 0 47 0 78
0 30 -1 37
Left Right Case
0 35
Next step: Rebalance (Step 1) -->
Rebalance (Step 1) Balance not ok
-2 57
+2 26 +1 72
0 3 -2 38 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 -2 37 0 47 0 78
0 32
0 30 0 35
Next step: Rebalance (Step 2) -->
Rebalance (Step 2) Balance ok
-1 57
+1 26 +1 72
0 3 0 37 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 0 32 +1 38 0 78
0 30 0 35 0 47
Next step: Finished! -->
Finished! Balance ok
-1 57
+1 26 +1 72
0 3 0 37 0 63 -1 94
0 1 0 25 0 32 +1 38 0 78
0 30 0 35 0 47
Exercise: insert 36
