How can I create Min stl priority_queue?

The third template parameter for priority_queue is the comparator. Set it to use greater.

e.g.

std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int> > max_queue;

You'll need #include <functional> for std::greater.


One way would be to define a suitable comparator with which to operate on the ordinary priority queue, such that its priority gets reversed:

 #include <iostream>  
 #include <queue>  
 using namespace std;  

 struct compare  
 {  
   bool operator()(const int& l, const int& r)  
   {  
       return l > r;  
   }  
 };  

 int main()  
 {  
     priority_queue<int,vector<int>, compare > pq;  

     pq.push(3);  
     pq.push(5);  
     pq.push(1);  
     pq.push(8);  
     while ( !pq.empty() )  
     {  
         cout << pq.top() << endl;  
         pq.pop();  
     }  
     cin.get();  
 }

Which would output 1, 3, 5, 8 respectively.

Some examples of using priority queues via STL and Sedgewick's implementations are given here.


Use std::greater as the comparison function:

std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int> > my_min_heap;

You can do it in multiple ways:
1. Using greater as comparison function :

 #include <bits/stdc++.h>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    priority_queue<int,vector<int>,greater<int> >pq;
    pq.push(1);
    pq.push(2);
    pq.push(3);

    while(!pq.empty())
    {
        int r = pq.top();
        pq.pop();
        cout<<r<< " ";
    }
    return 0;
}

2. Inserting values by changing their sign (using minus (-) for positive number and using plus (+) for negative number :

int main()
{
    priority_queue<int>pq2;
    pq2.push(-1); //for +1
    pq2.push(-2); //for +2
    pq2.push(-3); //for +3
    pq2.push(4);  //for -4

    while(!pq2.empty())
    {
        int r = pq2.top();
        pq2.pop();
        cout<<-r<<" ";
    }

    return 0;
}

3. Using custom structure or class :

struct compare
{
    bool operator()(const int & a, const int & b)
    {
        return a>b;
    }
};

int main()
{

    priority_queue<int,vector<int>,compare> pq;
    pq.push(1);
    pq.push(2);
    pq.push(3);

    while(!pq.empty())
    {
        int r = pq.top();
        pq.pop();
        cout<<r<<" ";
    }

    return 0;
}

4. Using custom structure or class you can use priority_queue in any order. Suppose, we want to sort people in descending order according to their salary and if tie then according to their age.

    struct people
    {
        int age,salary;

    };
    struct compare{
    bool operator()(const people & a, const people & b)
        {
            if(a.salary==b.salary)
            {
                return a.age>b.age;
            }
            else
            {
                return a.salary>b.salary;
            }

    }
    };
    int main()
    {

        priority_queue<people,vector<people>,compare> pq;
        people person1,person2,person3;
        person1.salary=100;
        person1.age = 50;
        person2.salary=80;
        person2.age = 40;
        person3.salary = 100;
        person3.age=40;


        pq.push(person1);
        pq.push(person2);
        pq.push(person3);

        while(!pq.empty())
        {
            people r = pq.top();
            pq.pop();
            cout<<r.salary<<" "<<r.age<<endl;
    }
  1. Same result can be obtained by operator overloading :

    struct people
    {
    int age,salary;
    
    bool operator< (const people & p)const
    {
        if(salary==p.salary)
        {
            return age>p.age;
        }
        else
        {
            return salary>p.salary;
        }
    }};
    

    In main function :

    priority_queue<people> pq;
    people person1,person2,person3;
    person1.salary=100;
    person1.age = 50;
    person2.salary=80;
    person2.age = 40;
    person3.salary = 100;
    person3.age=40;
    
    
    pq.push(person1);
    pq.push(person2);
    pq.push(person3);
    
    while(!pq.empty())
    {
        people r = pq.top();
        pq.pop();
        cout<<r.salary<<" "<<r.age<<endl;
    }