Binary Heap

A binary heap is a binary tree that is mapped onto an array. Because of the mapping that is used, links between nodes are easily computed without storing them.

A heap has two fundamental properties:

• Structure Property: The heap is a complete binary tree, meaning that all nodes are filled except for the right-hand part of the bottom row.

  

• Heap Order Property: For any subtree of the heap, the value at the root is less than the value of any of its descendants. Since the minimum element is at the root, it is easy to find.