Translating Between Wavelet Tree and Wavelet Matrix Construction

Abstract: The wavelet tree (Grossi et al. [SODA, 2003]) and wavelet matrix (Claude et al. [Inf. Syst., 2015]) are compact data structures with many applications such as text indexing or computational geometry. By continuing the recent research of Fischer et al. [ALENEX, 2018], we explore the similarities and differences of these heavily related data structures with focus on their construction. We develop a data structure to modify construction algorithms for either the wavelet tree or matrix to construct instead the other. This modification is efficient, in that it does not worsen the asymptotic time and space requirements of any known wavelet tree or wavelet matrix construction algorithm.