Binary Tree Nodes - Problem

Given a table Tree representing a binary tree structure, write a SQL query to classify each node as one of the following types:

  • Root: The node that has no parent (P is NULL)
  • Leaf: The node that has no children (not referenced as a parent by any other node)
  • Inner: The node that has both a parent and at least one child

Return the result table with columns N (node value) and Type (node classification), ordered by node value in ascending order.

Table Schema

Tree
Column Name Type Description
N PK int Node value (unique identifier)
P int Parent node value (NULL for root node)
Primary Key: N
Note: Each row represents a node in the binary tree with its parent reference

Input & Output

Example 1 — Simple Binary Tree
Input Table:
N P
1 2
2
3 2
Output:
N Type
1 Leaf
2 Root
3 Leaf
💡 Note:

Node 2 is the root (P is NULL). Nodes 1 and 3 are children of node 2 with no children themselves, making them leaf nodes.

Example 2 — Tree with Inner Node
Input Table:
N P
1 2
2 5
3 2
4 5
5
Output:
N Type
1 Leaf
2 Inner
3 Leaf
4 Leaf
5 Inner
💡 Note:

Node 5 is the root. Node 2 is an inner node (has parent 5 and children 1,3). Node 5 is also inner (root with children). Nodes 1, 3, and 4 are leaves.

Example 3 — Single Node Tree
Input Table:
N P
1
Output:
N Type
1 Root
💡 Note:

Single node with no parent becomes the root node, even though it has no children.

Constraints

  • 1 ≤ N ≤ 1000
  • P is NULL for root nodes
  • Each node value N is unique
  • Valid binary tree structure guaranteed

Visualization

Tap to expand
Binary Tree Node Type Classification5Root2Inner4Leaf1Leaf3LeafClassification Rules:• Root: P IS NULL• Inner: Has parent AND children• Leaf: Has parent, NO childrenSQL Logic:CASE WHEN P IS NULL THEN 'Root'WHEN EXISTS(SELECT 1 WHERE P=N) THEN 'Inner'ELSE 'Leaf' END
Understanding the Visualization
1
Input Tree
Parent-child relationships
2
Classification
Check parent/child status
3
Node Types
Root, Inner, or Leaf
Key Takeaway
🎯 Key Insight: Node classification depends on parent existence (P IS NULL) and child existence (appearing as parent in other rows)
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