Ternary Tree

What Does Ternary Tree Mean?

In computer science, a ternary tree is a type of tree data structure where each node can have up to three derivative nodes. This is in contrast to a binary tree, where each node can have either one or two derivative nodes.

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Techopedia Explains Ternary Tree

In a tree data structure, algorithm experts often use the names “parent” and “child” nodes to describe elements of the tree that derive from each other. In a ternary tree, the parent node can have up to three child nodes, which are often labeled as the “left,” “middle” and “right” node, respectively. Certain types of metadata may reside in these derivative nodes.

Because the ternary tree is a more sophisticated model than a binary tree, it can be more suitable for some types of ordered searches and other operations. A ternary structure can also be used for a data heap or for filtering data for some algorithmic operation.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…