Implementing deletion in B+-trees

Abstract

This paper describes algorithms for key deletion in B + -trees. There are published algorithms and pseudocode for searching and inserting keys, but deletion, due to its greater complexity and perceived lesser importance, is glossed over completely or left as an exercise to the reader. To remedy this situation, we provide a well documented flowchart, algorithm, and pseudo-code for deletion, their relation to search and insertion algorithms, and a reference to a freely available, complete B + -tree library written in the C programming language.