我正在学习 MIT 的算法课程（链接）。在第一节课中，教授提出了以下问题：
在一个二维数组中，如果一个值的四个相邻元素都小于或等于它，那么它就是一个“峰”，即对于 a[i][j] 来说，它是一个局部最大值。
a[i+1][j] <= a[i][j]
&& a[i-1][j] <= a[i][j]
&& a[i][j+1] <= a[i][j]
&& a[i+1][j-1] <= a[i][j]
现在，给定一个NxN的二维数组，在数组中找到一个峰值。
可以通过遍历所有元素并返回一个峰值来很容易地在O(N^2)时间内解决此问题。
然而，可以通过使用分治解决方案（如此处所述）来将其优化为在O(NlogN)时间内解决。
但他们说存在一种O(N)时间算法来解决此问题。请建议如何在O(N)时间内解决此问题。
PS（对于那些了解Python的人）课程工作人员已经在他们的问题集中此处（问题1-5. Peak-Finding Proof）解释了一种方法，并且还提供了一些Python代码。但所解释的方法完全不明显，非常难以理解。Python代码同样令人困惑。因此，我已经复制了以下代码的主要部分，供那些知道Python并且可以从代码中了解使用的算法的人使用。
def algorithm4(problem, bestSeen = None, rowSplit = True, trace = None):
# if it's empty, we're done
if problem.numRow <= 0 or problem.numCol <= 0:
return None
subproblems = []
divider = []
if rowSplit:
# the recursive subproblem will involve half the number of rows
mid = problem.numRow // 2
# information about the two subproblems
(subStartR1, subNumR1) = (0, mid)
(subStartR2, subNumR2) = (mid + 1, problem.numRow - (mid + 1))
(subStartC, subNumC) = (0, problem.numCol)
subproblems.append((subStartR1, subStartC, subNumR1, subNumC))
subproblems.append((subStartR2, subStartC, subNumR2, subNumC))
# get a list of all locations in the dividing column
divider = crossProduct([mid], range(problem.numCol))
else:
# the recursive subproblem will involve half the number of columns
mid = problem.numCol // 2
# information about the two subproblems
(subStartR, subNumR) = (0, problem.numRow)
(subStartC1, subNumC1) = (0, mid)
(subStartC2, subNumC2) = (mid + 1, problem.numCol - (mid + 1))
subproblems.append((subStartR, subStartC1, subNumR, subNumC1))
subproblems.append((subStartR, subStartC2, subNumR, subNumC2))
# get a list of all locations in the dividing column
divider = crossProduct(range(problem.numRow), [mid])
# find the maximum in the dividing row or column
bestLoc = problem.getMaximum(divider, trace)
neighbor = problem.getBetterNeighbor(bestLoc, trace)
# update the best we've seen so far based on this new maximum
if bestSeen is None or problem.get(neighbor) > problem.get(bestSeen):
bestSeen = neighbor
if not trace is None: trace.setBestSeen(bestSeen)
# return when we know we've found a peak
if neighbor == bestLoc and problem.get(bestLoc) >= problem.get(bestSeen):
if not trace is None: trace.foundPeak(bestLoc)
return bestLoc
# figure out which subproblem contains the largest number we've seen so
# far, and recurse, alternating between splitting on rows and splitting
# on columns
sub = problem.getSubproblemContaining(subproblems, bestSeen)
newBest = sub.getLocationInSelf(problem, bestSeen)
if not trace is None: trace.setProblemDimensions(sub)
result = algorithm4(sub, newBest, not rowSplit, trace)
return problem.getLocationInSelf(sub, result)
#Helper Method
def crossProduct(list1, list2):
"""
Returns all pairs with one item from the first list and one item from
the second list. (Cartesian product of the two lists.)
The code is equivalent to the following list comprehension:
return [(a, b) for a in list1 for b in list2]
but for easier reading and analysis, we have included more explicit code.
"""
answer = []
for a in list1:
for b in list2:
answer.append ((a, b))
return answer
