b tree
n.n. a special way of organizing data in a computer so that it is very fast to find, add, or delete information. It is mostly used in databases and file systems to handle large amounts of data.
n. a self-balancing tree data structure that maintains sorted data and allows searches, sequential access, insertions, and deletions in logarithmic time. It is optimized for systems that read and write large blocks of data, such as databases.
The database uses a b-tree to find records quickly.
Engineers chose a b-tree structure for the new file system to ensure that search times remain consistent even as the disk fills up.
By minimizing disk I/O operations through its high branching factor, the b-tree remains the foundational data structure for most relational database indexing engines.
Coined by Rudolf Bayer and Edward M. McCreight in 1971. The letter B is an initialism of unknown specific intent, though it is commonly associated with the authors' employer, Boeing, or the name Bayer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often hyphenated as 'B-tree'; the 'B' is usually capitalized in technical documentation.
Last updated July 22, 2026