A simple balanced search tree

Abstract

This paper provides a simple data structure and algorithm to create a balanced binary search tree that may be useful as an index for stored data or for other purposes. Its search and insertion time complexities are both O(log N) where N is the number of keys that it contains. The interesting feature of this data structure is that it is easy to visualize and understand. This structure could provide a friendly introduction to the study of balanced tree structures. Performance characteristics are sufficient that it could be appropriate in medium sized applications where small code size is important.