C# Minimum heap using SortedDictionary

August 4, 2018

Introduction

There is no C# class like Java PriorityQueue for minimum heap. I learned to write a minimum heap using SortedDictionary since I read the source code to study the problem solving of the algorithm called Merge k sorted lists recently.

I like to write a blog to document my experience.

Source code 

Here is C# source code to write a minimum heap using SortedDictionary. Also the folder is here to access my practice for the algorithm 23 Merge K sorted lists.

Challenge 

Here is the fact:

Julia, you spent 10 rounds of mock interviews from March 2017 to June 2018. You could not come out using SortedDictionary to write a simple minimum heap for K messed sorted array algorithm.

Give a few arguments to defend yourself:
I do not spend time to read SortedDictionary source code.
I do not know how SortedDictionary class is designed, why it is needed.
I do not try to memeorize all APIs from SortedDictionary.
I do not have chance to read the code using SortedDictionary to solve the problem.
I did search why C# does not provide PriorityQueue like Java, but I do not find alternatives with source code using SortedDictionary. 
I got so many choices to continue to study and improve. I just move on other problems to solve.


Give a few advice how to break through the problem:

Please provide a possible three solutions you can approach to come out a written solution like using SortedDictionary.

Follow up

March 26, 2019

I reviewed the solution written for union find algorithm, and then I will write new version using SortedDictionary as well.

Here is the folder to contain my practice.

Here is the union find algorithm using SortedDictionary

Follow up 

June 4 2020
I like to work on 215 Find kth largest element in the array using SortedDictionary. The idea is to write a solution using minimum heap.