Trie (Prefix Tree) Pattern¶

2026-01-062026-01-07

Table of Contents¶

API Kernel: Trie
When to Use Trie
Core Trie Structure
Base Operations
Pattern Variations
Problem: Implement Trie (Prefix Tree) [LC 208] - BASE
Problem: Design Add and Search Words Data Structure [LC 211]
Problem: Word Search II [LC 212]
Problem: Replace Words [LC 648]
Problem: Search Suggestions System [LC 1268]
Pattern Comparison
Operation Comparison
When to Use Each Variation
Decision Guide: When to Use Trie
Quick Reference Templates

1. API Kernel: `Trie`¶

Core Mechanism: Tree-based data structure for efficient string prefix operations.

A Trie (pronounced "try") is a tree where each node represents a character, and paths from root to nodes represent prefixes. This enables O(L) operations where L is the string length, regardless of how many strings are stored.

2. When to Use Trie¶

Signal	Example
Prefix matching	"Find all words starting with 'app'"
Autocomplete	"Suggest completions for partial input"
Word validation	"Check if word exists in dictionary"
Wildcard search	"Match 'a.c' where . is any character"
Longest prefix	"Find longest matching prefix"

3. Core Trie Structure¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.is_end: bool = False
        # Optional: store additional data
        # self.word: str = ""  # Store complete word at end node
        # self.count: int = 0  # Count of words with this prefix

4. Base Operations¶

4.1 Insert Word - O(L)¶

def insert(self, word: str) -> None:
    node = self.root
    for char in word:
        if char not in node.children:
            node.children[char] = TrieNode()
        node = node.children[char]
    node.is_end = True

4.2 Search Word - O(L)¶

def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
    node = self._find_node(word)
    return node is not None and node.is_end

4.3 Search Prefix - O(L)¶

def startsWith(self, prefix: str) -> bool:
    return self._find_node(prefix) is not None

def _find_node(self, prefix: str) -> Optional[TrieNode]:
    node = self.root
    for char in prefix:
        if char not in node.children:
            return None
        node = node.children[char]
    return node

5. Pattern Variations¶

Problem	Variation	Key Modification
LC 208	Basic Trie	Standard insert/search/prefix
LC 211	Wildcard Search	DFS with '.' matching any character
LC 212	Trie + Backtracking	Build trie, then DFS on grid
LC 648	Prefix Replacement	Find shortest prefix match
LC 1268	Autocomplete	Collect words with given prefix

6. Problem: Implement Trie (Prefix Tree) [LC 208] - BASE¶

Pattern: Basic Trie Operations Difficulty: Medium Role: Base template for all Trie problems

6.1 Problem Statement¶

Implement a trie with insert, search, and startsWith methods.

6.2 Invariant¶

A path from root represents a prefix; is_end marks complete words.

6.3 Template Implementation¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.is_end: bool = False


class Trie:
    def __init__(self):
        self.root = TrieNode()

    def insert(self, word: str) -> None:
        """Insert word into trie. O(L) time."""
        node = self.root
        for char in word:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
            node = node.children[char]
        node.is_end = True

    def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
        """Return True if word is in trie. O(L) time."""
        node = self._find_node(word)
        return node is not None and node.is_end

    def startsWith(self, prefix: str) -> bool:
        """Return True if any word starts with prefix. O(L) time."""
        return self._find_node(prefix) is not None

    def _find_node(self, prefix: str) -> Optional[TrieNode]:
        """Navigate to node representing prefix, or None if not found."""
        node = self.root
        for char in prefix:
            if char not in node.children:
                return None
            node = node.children[char]
        return node

6.4 Trace Example¶

Insert: "apple", "app"

After "apple":
root → a → p → p → l → e (is_end=True)

After "app":
root → a → p → p (is_end=True) → l → e (is_end=True)
              ↑
          Now marked as end

search("app")    → True  (node exists AND is_end=True)
search("appl")   → False (node exists BUT is_end=False)
startsWith("ap") → True  (node exists)

6.5 Key Insights¶

Space Efficiency: Shared prefixes use shared nodes
Time Complexity: O(L) for all operations, independent of dictionary size
Trade-off: Uses more space than hash set but enables prefix operations

6.6 Complexity¶

Time: O(L) per operation where L = string length
Space: O(N × L) worst case for N words of length L

7. Problem: Design Add and Search Words Data Structure [LC 211]¶

Pattern: Trie with Wildcard Search Difficulty: Medium Delta from Base: DFS for '.' wildcard matching

7.1 Problem Statement¶

Design a data structure that supports adding words and searching with '.' wildcards that can match any letter.

7.2 Invariant¶

On '.', branch to ALL children; on letter, follow exact path.

7.3 Delta from Base Template¶

# BASE: Linear traversal
def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
    node = self._find_node(word)
    return node is not None and node.is_end

# WILDCARD: DFS with branching on '.'
def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
    def dfs(node: TrieNode, i: int) -> bool:
        if i == len(word):
            return node.is_end

        char = word[i]
        if char == '.':
            # Try ALL children
            return any(dfs(child, i + 1) for child in node.children.values())
        else:
            # Follow exact path
            if char not in node.children:
                return False
            return dfs(node.children[char], i + 1)

    return dfs(self.root, 0)

7.4 Complete Implementation¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.is_end: bool = False


class WordDictionary:
    def __init__(self):
        self.root = TrieNode()

    def addWord(self, word: str) -> None:
        """Same as base Trie insert."""
        node = self.root
        for char in word:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
            node = node.children[char]
        node.is_end = True

    def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
        """Search with '.' wildcard support using DFS."""
        def dfs(node: TrieNode, i: int) -> bool:
            if i == len(word):
                return node.is_end

            char = word[i]
            if char == '.':
                # Wildcard: try all possible children
                for child in node.children.values():
                    if dfs(child, i + 1):
                        return True
                return False
            else:
                # Exact match required
                if char not in node.children:
                    return False
                return dfs(node.children[char], i + 1)

        return dfs(self.root, 0)

7.5 Trace Example¶

addWord("bad"), addWord("dad"), addWord("mad")

Trie structure:
root → b → a → d (end)
     → d → a → d (end)
     → m → a → d (end)

search(".ad"):
  '.' matches 'b' → 'a' → 'd' → is_end=True → Return True

search("b.."):
  'b' → '.' matches 'a' → '.' matches 'd' → is_end=True → Return True

search("b.d"):
  'b' → '.' matches 'a' → 'd' → is_end=True → Return True

7.6 Complexity¶

Time: O(L) without wildcards, O(26^W × L) worst case with W wildcards
Space: O(N × L) for trie + O(L) recursion stack

8. Problem: Word Search II [LC 212]¶

Pattern: Trie + Backtracking Difficulty: Hard Delta from Base: Build trie from words, DFS on grid

8.1 Problem Statement¶

Given an m×n board of characters and a list of words, return all words that can be formed by sequentially adjacent cells.

8.2 Invariant¶

Build trie from words, then DFS on grid following trie paths.

8.3 Why Trie + Backtracking?¶

Without Trie: For each cell, try each word → O(cells × words × word_length) With Trie: For each cell, follow trie paths → O(cells × 4^max_length) with early termination

The trie enables: 1. Shared prefix search: "apple" and "application" share traversal for "appl" 2. Early termination: Stop if current path isn't a valid prefix 3. Multiple word detection: Find multiple words in single DFS

8.4 Template Implementation¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.word: Optional[str] = None  # Store complete word at end


class Solution:
    def findWords(self, board: List[List[str]], words: List[str]) -> List[str]:
        # Step 1: Build trie from words
        root = TrieNode()
        for word in words:
            node = root
            for char in word:
                if char not in node.children:
                    node.children[char] = TrieNode()
                node = node.children[char]
            node.word = word  # Mark end with the word itself

        # Step 2: DFS from each cell
        rows, cols = len(board), len(board[0])
        result = []

        def dfs(r: int, c: int, node: TrieNode) -> None:
            char = board[r][c]

            # Not a valid trie path
            if char not in node.children:
                return

            next_node = node.children[char]

            # Found a word!
            if next_node.word:
                result.append(next_node.word)
                next_node.word = None  # Avoid duplicates

            # Mark visited
            board[r][c] = '#'

            # Explore 4 directions
            for dr, dc in [(0, 1), (0, -1), (1, 0), (-1, 0)]:
                nr, nc = r + dr, c + dc
                if 0 <= nr < rows and 0 <= nc < cols and board[nr][nc] != '#':
                    dfs(nr, nc, next_node)

            # Restore cell
            board[r][c] = char

            # Optimization: prune empty branches
            if not next_node.children:
                del node.children[char]

        # Start DFS from each cell
        for r in range(rows):
            for c in range(cols):
                dfs(r, c, root)

        return result

8.5 Trace Example¶

board = [["o","a","a","n"],
         ["e","t","a","e"],
         ["i","h","k","r"],
         ["i","f","l","v"]]
words = ["oath","pea","eat","rain"]

Trie:
root → o → a → t → h (word="oath")
     → p → e → a (word="pea")
     → e → a → t (word="eat")
     → r → a → i → n (word="rain")

DFS from (0,0) 'o':
  → (1,0) 'e': no 'e' child of 'o' in trie, backtrack
  → (0,1) 'a': follow trie o→a
    → (1,1) 't': follow trie o→a→t
      → (1,2) 'a': no 'a' child of 't', backtrack
      → (2,1) 'h': follow trie o→a→t→h, word="oath" FOUND!

Result: ["oath", "eat"]

8.6 Key Optimizations¶

Store word at node: Avoid reconstructing word from path
Prune empty branches: Remove trie nodes after finding words
In-place marking: Use board itself for visited tracking

8.7 Complexity¶

Time: O(M × N × 4^L) where L = max word length
Space: O(W × L) for trie where W = number of words

9. Problem: Replace Words [LC 648]¶

Pattern: Trie Prefix Replacement Difficulty: Medium Delta from Base: Find shortest matching prefix

9.1 Problem Statement¶

Given a dictionary of roots and a sentence, replace each word with its shortest root. If a word has no root, keep it unchanged.

Example: dictionary = ["cat", "bat", "rat"], sentence = "the cattle was rattled by the battery" Output: "the cat was rat by the bat"

9.2 Invariant¶

For each word, find the shortest prefix that exists in trie.

9.3 Delta from Base Template¶

# BASE: Check if full word exists
def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
    node = self._find_node(word)
    return node is not None and node.is_end

# REPLACE: Find shortest prefix that is a complete word
def find_shortest_root(self, word: str) -> str:
    node = self.root
    for i, char in enumerate(word):
        if char not in node.children:
            break  # No prefix exists
        node = node.children[char]
        if node.is_end:
            return word[:i + 1]  # Found shortest root!
    return word  # No root found, return original

9.4 Complete Implementation¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.is_end: bool = False


class Solution:
    def replaceWords(self, dictionary: List[str], sentence: str) -> str:
        # Build trie from dictionary
        root = TrieNode()
        for word in dictionary:
            node = root
            for char in word:
                if char not in node.children:
                    node.children[char] = TrieNode()
                node = node.children[char]
            node.is_end = True

        def find_root(word: str) -> str:
            """Find shortest root for a word."""
            node = root
            for i, char in enumerate(word):
                if char not in node.children:
                    return word  # No matching prefix
                node = node.children[char]
                if node.is_end:
                    return word[:i + 1]  # Return shortest root
            return word  # No root found

        # Replace each word in sentence
        words = sentence.split()
        return ' '.join(find_root(word) for word in words)

9.5 Trace Example¶

dictionary = ["cat", "bat", "rat"]
sentence = "the cattle was rattled by the battery"

Trie:
root → c → a → t (end)
     → b → a → t (end)
     → r → a → t (end)

Processing "cattle":
  'c' → found in trie
  'a' → found, continue
  't' → found, is_end=True! Return "cat"

Processing "rattled":
  'r' → found
  'a' → found
  't' → found, is_end=True! Return "rat"

Processing "battery":
  'b' → found
  'a' → found
  't' → found, is_end=True! Return "bat"

Processing "the": 't' found, 'h' not found → "the"

Output: "the cat was rat by the bat"

9.6 Why Trie is Optimal¶

Approach	Time per Word	Total Time
Check each root	O(D × L)	O(W × D × L)
Hash set of roots	O(L²) substrings	O(W × L²)
Trie	O(L)	O(W × L)

Where D = dictionary size, W = words in sentence, L = word length.

9.7 Complexity¶

Time: O(D × L + W × L) - build trie + process words
Space: O(D × L) for trie

10. Problem: Search Suggestions System [LC 1268]¶

Pattern: Trie Autocomplete Difficulty: Medium Delta from Base: Collect top-k words with given prefix

10.1 Problem Statement¶

Given an array of products and a search word, return for each prefix of the search word up to 3 lexicographically smallest products that match the prefix.

10.2 Invariant¶

For each prefix, DFS from prefix node to collect words in sorted order.

10.3 Approach Options¶

Approach	Build	Query per Prefix	Best When
Sort + Binary Search	O(N log N)	O(log N + K)	Few queries
Trie + DFS	O(N × L)	O(K)	Many queries
Trie + Precomputed	O(N × L × K)	O(1)	Very many queries

10.4 Template Implementation¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.words: List[str] = []  # Store up to 3 words at each node


class Solution:
    def suggestedProducts(self, products: List[str], searchWord: str) -> List[List[str]]:
        # Sort products for lexicographical order
        products.sort()

        # Build trie with top-3 words at each node
        root = TrieNode()
        for product in products:
            node = root
            for char in product:
                if char not in node.children:
                    node.children[char] = TrieNode()
                node = node.children[char]
                # Keep only top 3 (already sorted)
                if len(node.words) < 3:
                    node.words.append(product)

        # Query for each prefix
        result = []
        node = root
        for i, char in enumerate(searchWord):
            if node and char in node.children:
                node = node.children[char]
                result.append(node.words)
            else:
                # No more matches for this and remaining prefixes
                node = None
                result.append([])

        return result

10.5 Alternative: DFS Collection¶

def suggestedProducts(self, products: List[str], searchWord: str) -> List[List[str]]:
    # Build basic trie
    root = TrieNode()
    for product in products:
        node = root
        for char in product:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
            node = node.children[char]
        node.is_end = True
        node.word = product

    def collect_words(node: TrieNode, limit: int) -> List[str]:
        """DFS to collect up to 'limit' words in lex order."""
        words = []

        def dfs(n: TrieNode):
            if len(words) >= limit:
                return
            if hasattr(n, 'word') and n.word:
                words.append(n.word)
            # Visit children in sorted order for lex ordering
            for char in sorted(n.children.keys()):
                dfs(n.children[char])

        dfs(node)
        return words

    # Query each prefix
    result = []
    node = root
    for char in searchWord:
        if node and char in node.children:
            node = node.children[char]
            result.append(collect_words(node, 3))
        else:
            node = None
            result.append([])

    return result

10.6 Trace Example¶

products = ["mobile","mouse","moneypot","monitor","mousepad"]
searchWord = "mouse"

Sorted: ["mobile","moneypot","monitor","mouse","mousepad"]

Trie with top-3 words at each node:
root
  → m: ["mobile","moneypot","monitor"]
    → o: ["mobile","moneypot","monitor"]
      → b: ["mobile"]
      → n: ["moneypot","monitor"]
      → u: ["mouse","mousepad"]
        → s: ["mouse","mousepad"]
          → e: ["mouse","mousepad"]

Query "m": ["mobile","moneypot","monitor"]
Query "mo": ["mobile","moneypot","monitor"]
Query "mou": ["mouse","mousepad"]
Query "mous": ["mouse","mousepad"]
Query "mouse": ["mouse","mousepad"]

10.7 Key Insight: Pre-store vs. Collect¶

Pre-store (implemented above): - Store top-3 at each node during build - O(1) query but O(N × L) extra space

Collect on demand: - DFS from prefix node each query - O(K) per query, less space

10.8 Complexity¶

Time: O(N × L × log N) for build (sorting), O(L) per query
Space: O(N × L) for trie + O(3 × L) for stored suggestions

11. Pattern Comparison¶

Problem	Trie Modification	Search Type	Extra Data
208 - Implement Trie	Basic structure	Exact + Prefix	`is_end` flag
211 - Add/Search Words	DFS search	Wildcard '.'	None
212 - Word Search II	Build from words	Grid backtracking	`word` at end
648 - Replace Words	Find shortest	First matching prefix	None
1268 - Search Suggestions	Store words at nodes	Collect with prefix	`words[]` list

12. Operation Comparison¶

Operation	208 Basic	211 Wildcard	212 Grid	648 Replace	1268 Autocomplete
Insert	O(L)	O(L)	O(L)	O(L)	O(L)
Search exact	O(L)	O(26^W × L)	-	-	-
Search prefix	O(L)	-	-	O(L)	O(1)*
Find words	-	-	O(4^L)	-	O(K)

*With precomputed suggestions

13. When to Use Each Variation¶

Need exact word lookup?
├─ Yes → Basic Trie (LC 208)
└─ No
   │
   Support wildcards?
   ├─ Yes → Wildcard Trie (LC 211)
   └─ No
      │
      Search in 2D grid?
      ├─ Yes → Trie + Backtracking (LC 212)
      └─ No
         │
         Find shortest matching prefix?
         ├─ Yes → Prefix Replacement (LC 648)
         └─ No
            │
            Return multiple suggestions?
            └─ Yes → Autocomplete Trie (LC 1268)

14. Decision Guide: When to Use Trie¶

14.1 Use Trie When¶

Scenario	Why Trie Works
Prefix operations	O(L) regardless of dictionary size
Autocomplete/suggestions	Efficient prefix-based collection
Spell checking	Quick validation and suggestions
IP routing (longest prefix match)	Bit-level trie for routing tables
Word games (Boggle, Word Search)	Prune invalid paths early

14.2 Trie vs. Alternatives¶

Approach	Prefix Search	Exact Search	Space	Best For
Trie	O(L)	O(L)	O(N×L)	Prefix-heavy operations
Hash Set	O(L²)*	O(L)	O(N×L)	Exact lookups only
Sorted Array + Binary Search	O(L log N)	O(L log N)	O(N×L)	Static dictionary

*Check all prefixes

14.3 Decision Flowchart¶

Do you need prefix operations?
├─ No → Use Hash Set (simpler, same performance for exact lookup)
└─ Yes
   │
   Is the dictionary dynamic (frequent inserts)?
   ├─ Yes → Use Trie
   └─ No (static dictionary)
      │
      How many queries?
      ├─ Few → Sorted array + binary search
      └─ Many → Use Trie (amortize build cost)

14.4 Common Patterns by Problem Type¶

Problem Type	Pattern	Example
Implement dictionary	Basic Trie	LC 208
Regex/wildcard matching	DFS Trie	LC 211
Multiple string search in grid	Trie + Backtracking	LC 212
Prefix-based replacement	Shortest prefix match	LC 648
Autocomplete system	Trie with word lists	LC 1268
Longest common prefix	Trie depth analysis	LC 14
Count prefixes	Trie with counters	LC 1804

14.5 Red Flags (Don't Use Trie)¶

Only need exact word matching → Hash Set is simpler
Very short strings (< 5 chars) → Overhead may not be worth it
Memory-constrained environment → Trie nodes have overhead
Need fuzzy matching → Consider edit distance algorithms instead

15. Quick Reference Templates¶

15.1 Basic Trie Structure¶

class TrieNode:
    def __init__(self):
        self.children: Dict[str, TrieNode] = {}
        self.is_end: bool = False


class Trie:
    def __init__(self):
        self.root = TrieNode()

    def insert(self, word: str) -> None:
        node = self.root
        for char in word:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
            node = node.children[char]
        node.is_end = True

    def search(self, word: str) -> bool:
        node = self._find_node(word)
        return node is not None and node.is_end

    def startsWith(self, prefix: str) -> bool:
        return self._find_node(prefix) is not None

    def _find_node(self, prefix: str) -> Optional[TrieNode]:
        node = self.root
        for char in prefix:
            if char not in node.children:
                return None
            node = node.children[char]
        return node

15.2 Wildcard Search (DFS)¶

def search_with_wildcard(self, word: str) -> bool:
    def dfs(node: TrieNode, i: int) -> bool:
        if i == len(word):
            return node.is_end

        char = word[i]
        if char == '.':
            return any(dfs(child, i + 1) for child in node.children.values())

        if char not in node.children:
            return False
        return dfs(node.children[char], i + 1)

    return dfs(self.root, 0)

15.3 Trie + Grid Backtracking¶

def find_words_in_grid(board: List[List[str]], words: List[str]) -> List[str]:
    # Build trie
    root = TrieNode()
    for word in words:
        node = root
        for char in word:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
            node = node.children[char]
        node.word = word  # Store word at end

    result = []
    rows, cols = len(board), len(board[0])

    def dfs(r: int, c: int, node: TrieNode):
        char = board[r][c]
        if char not in node.children:
            return

        next_node = node.children[char]
        if next_node.word:
            result.append(next_node.word)
            next_node.word = None  # Avoid duplicates

        board[r][c] = '#'  # Mark visited
        for dr, dc in [(0,1), (0,-1), (1,0), (-1,0)]:
            nr, nc = r + dr, c + dc
            if 0 <= nr < rows and 0 <= nc < cols and board[nr][nc] != '#':
                dfs(nr, nc, next_node)
        board[r][c] = char  # Restore

    for r in range(rows):
        for c in range(cols):
            dfs(r, c, root)

    return result

15.4 Shortest Prefix Match¶

def find_shortest_root(self, word: str) -> str:
    node = self.root
    for i, char in enumerate(word):
        if char not in node.children:
            return word  # No prefix found
        node = node.children[char]
        if node.is_end:
            return word[:i + 1]  # Shortest prefix
    return word

15.5 Autocomplete with Top-K¶

class AutocompleteTrie:
    def __init__(self):
        self.root = TrieNode()

    def insert(self, word: str) -> None:
        node = self.root
        for char in word:
            if char not in node.children:
                node.children[char] = TrieNode()
                node.children[char].suggestions = []
            node = node.children[char]
            # Maintain top-k suggestions (already sorted input)
            if len(node.suggestions) < 3:
                node.suggestions.append(word)

    def get_suggestions(self, prefix: str) -> List[str]:
        node = self._find_node(prefix)
        return node.suggestions if node else []

15.6 Complexity Summary¶

Operation	Time	Space
Build trie (N words, L avg length)	O(N × L)	O(N × L)
Insert word	O(L)	O(L) new nodes
Search exact	O(L)	O(1)
Search prefix	O(L)	O(1)
Wildcard search	O(26^W × L)	O(L) stack
Grid search	O(4^L) per cell	O(L) stack
Collect K suggestions	O(K)	O(K)

Document generated for NeetCode Practice Framework — API Kernel: TriePrefixSearch