Question

What does the Union(A, B) operation do in a Union-Find data structure with pointers?

a) Finds the representative of set A
b) Merges sets A and B
c) Initializes a new set
d) Deletes set A

Answer 1

In the context of Union-Find data structures, the Union(A, B) operation merges set A with set B into a single set, ensuring all elements are connected under the same representative.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a Union-Find data structure with pointers, the Union(A, B) operation performs the task of merging set A with set B. This means that after the union operation, all elements from both sets A and B would be in a single set, sharing a common representative. If A and B were already in the same set, the operation would simply ensure that they are connected, effectively doing nothing to the structure as they are already merged. The operation is important in many applications, such as determining connected components in a graph.

To further clarify using the example provided, the set A AND B will contain the intersection of sets A and B, while the set A OR B signifies the union of sets A and B. In the context of a Union-Find, the 'OR' signifies the union operation of combining the sets.