Longest Increasing Subsequence

on March 05, 2022 · 5 mins read

What is the Longest Increasing Subsequence Algorithm?

The Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm is a classic algorithm used to solve a wide variety of problems. It is a dynamic programming algorithm that finds the longest increasing subsequence of a given sequence. It is a very useful tool for solving problems related to optimization, such as finding the longest path in a graph or the longest increasing subsequence of a sequence of numbers.

In this article, we will discuss the basic concepts of the LIS algorithm, its implementation, and its applications. We will also discuss some of the common pitfalls of using the algorithm and how to avoid them.

What is a Subsequence?

A subsequence is a sequence of elements that can be obtained from a given sequence by deleting some of its elements. For example, if we have the sequence [1, 2, 3, 4], then the subsequences of this sequence are [1], [2], [3], [4], [1, 2], [2, 3], [3, 4], [1, 2, 3], [2, 3, 4], and [1, 2, 3, 4].

What is an Increasing Subsequence?

An increasing subsequence is a subsequence in which each element is greater than or equal to the previous element. For example, [1, 2, 3, 4] is an increasing subsequence of the sequence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

What is the Longest Increasing Subsequence?

The Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) is the longest increasing subsequence of a given sequence. For example, the longest increasing subsequence of the sequence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] is [1, 2, 3, 4].

How Does the Longest Increasing Subsequence Algorithm Work?

The Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm is a dynamic programming algorithm that finds the longest increasing subsequence of a given sequence. It works by keeping track of the longest increasing subsequence of the sequence so far and then extending it if possible.

The algorithm starts by initializing the longest increasing subsequence (LIS) to be empty. It then iterates through the sequence one element at a time. For each element, it checks if it can be added to the LIS. If it can, then it adds it to the LIS and updates the longest increasing subsequence (LIS) accordingly. If it cannot, then it moves on to the next element in the sequence.

The algorithm terminates when it reaches the end of the sequence. At this point, the longest increasing subsequence (LIS) contains the longest increasing subsequence of the given sequence.

Pseudocode

The pseudocode for the Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm is as follows:

LIS = []  // Initialize the longest increasing subsequence (LIS) to be empty

for i = 0 to n-1  // Iterate through the sequence one element at a time
    if element[i] can be added to LIS  // Check if the current element can be added to the LIS
        add element[i] to LIS  // If it can, add it to the LIS
        update LIS accordingly  // Update the longest increasing subsequence (LIS) accordingly
    else  // If it cannot
        move on to the next element  // Move on to the next element in the sequence

return LIS  // Return the longest increasing subsequence (LIS)

Applications

The Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm has a wide range of applications. It can be used to solve problems related to optimization, such as finding the longest path in a graph or the longest increasing subsequence of a sequence of numbers. It can also be used to solve problems related to scheduling, such as finding the optimal order of tasks.

Common Pitfalls

When using the Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm, it is important to keep in mind some of the common pitfalls. First, it is important to ensure that the sequence is sorted in increasing order before running the algorithm. If the sequence is not sorted, then the algorithm may not give the correct result.

Second, it is important to ensure that the sequence does not contain any duplicate elements. If the sequence contains duplicate elements, then the algorithm may not give the correct result.

Finally, it is important to ensure that the sequence does not contain any negative elements. If the sequence contains negative elements, then the algorithm may not give the correct result.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the Longest Increasing Subsequence (LIS) algorithm. We discussed the basic concepts of the algorithm, its implementation, and its applications. We also discussed some of the common pitfalls of using the algorithm and how to avoid them.