One-pass algorithm
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In computing, a one-pass algorithm or single-pass algorithm is a streaming algorithm which reads its input exactly once, in order, without unbounded buffering. A one-pass algorithm generally requires O(n) (see 'big O' notation) time and less than O(n) storage (typically O(1)), where n is the size of the input.[1]
Example problems solvable by one-pass algorithms
Given any list as an input:
- Count the number of elements.
Given a list of numbers:
- Find the k largest or smallest elements, k given in advance.
- Find the sum, mean, variance and standard deviation of the elements of the list. Algorithms_for_calculating_variance
Given a list of symbols from an alphabet of k symbols, given in advance.
- Count the number of times each symbol appears in the input.
- Find the most or least frequent elements.
- Sort the list according to some order on the symbols (possible since the number of symbols is limited).
- Find the maximum gap between two appearances of a given symbol.
Example problems not solvable by one-pass algorithms
Given any list as an input:
- Find the nth element from the end (or report that the list has fewer than n elements).
- Find the middle element of the list.
Given a list of numbers:
- Find the median.
- Find the modes (This is not the same as finding the most frequent symbol from a limited alphabet).
- Sort the list.
References
- ^ Schweikardt, Nicole (2009), LIU, LING; ÖZSU, M. TAMER (eds.), "One-Pass Algorithm", Encyclopedia of Database Systems, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 1948–1949, doi:10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_253, ISBN 978-0-387-39940-9, retrieved 2021-04-13
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