A suffix array is a data structure that provides a sorted array of all suffixes of a given string. For a string of length , the suffix array is an array of integers that represent the starting indices of the suffixes of in lexicographical order. For example, if , the suffixes are: "banana", "anana", "nana", "ana", "na", and "a". The suffix array for this string would be the indices that sort these suffixes: [5, 3, 1, 0, 4, 2].
Suffix arrays are particularly useful in various applications such as pattern matching, data compression, and bioinformatics. They can be built efficiently in time using algorithms like the Karkkainen-Sanders algorithm or prefix doubling. Additionally, suffix arrays can be augmented with auxiliary structures, like the Longest Common Prefix (LCP) array, to further enhance their functionality for specific tasks.
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