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Work-Time Optimal k-Merge Algorithms on the PRAM
March 1998 (vol. 9 no. 3)
pp. 275-282
ASCII Text
x 
 
Tatsuya Hayashi, Koji Nakano, Stephan Olariu, "Work-Time Optimal k-Merge Algorithms on the PRAM," IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 275-282, March, 1998.
 
 
BibTex
x
 
@article{ 10.1109/71.674319,
author = {Tatsuya Hayashi and Koji Nakano and Stephan Olariu},
title = {Work-Time Optimal k-Merge Algorithms on the PRAM},
journal ={IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems},
volume = {9},
number = {3},
issn = {1045-9219},
year = {1998},
pages = {275-282},
doi = {http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/71.674319},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
address = {Los Alamitos, CA, USA},
}
 
 
RefWorks Procite/RefMan/Endnote
x 
 
TY - JOUR
JO - IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems
TI - Work-Time Optimal k-Merge Algorithms on the PRAM
IS - 3
SN - 1045-9219
SP275
EP282
EPD - 275-282
A1 - Tatsuya Hayashi,
A1 - Koji Nakano,
A1 - Stephan Olariu,
PY - 1998
KW - Merging
KW - sorting
KW - parallel algorithms
KW - work-time optimal algorithms
KW - information retrieval
KW - databases
KW - query processing.
VL - 9
JA - IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems
ER -
 

Abstract—For 2 ≤k≤n, the k-merge problem is to merge a collection of k sorted sequences of total length n into a new sorted sequence. The k-merge problem is fundamental as it provides a common generalization of both merging and sorting. The main contribution of this work is to give simple and intuitive work-time optimal algorithms for the k-merge problem on three PRAM models, thus settling the status of the k-merge problem. We first prove that Ω(n log k) work is required to solve the k-merge problem on the PRAM models. We then show that the EREW-PRAM and both the CREW-PRAM and the CRCW require Ω(log n) time and Ω(log log n + log k) time, respectively, provided that the amount of work is bounded by O(n log k). Our first k-merge algorithm runs in Θ(log n) time and performs Θ(n log k) work on the EREW-PRAM. Finally, we design a work-time optimal CREW-PRAM k-merge algorithm that runs in Θ(log log n + log k) time and performs Θ(n log k) work. This latter algorithm is also work-time optimal on the CRCW-PRAM model. Our algorithms completely settle the status of the k-merge problem on the three main PRAM models.

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Index Terms:
Merging, sorting, parallel algorithms, work-time optimal algorithms, information retrieval, databases, query processing.
Citation:
Tatsuya Hayashi, Koji Nakano, Stephan Olariu, "Work-Time Optimal k-Merge Algorithms on the PRAM," IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 275-282, March 1998, doi:10.1109/71.674319
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