An Interesting Method to Generate Binary Numbers from 1 to n

Last Updated : 25 May, 2024

Given a number N, write a function that generates and prints all binary numbers with decimal values from 1 to N.

Examples:

Input: n = 2
Output: 1, 10

Input: n = 5
Output: 1, 10, 11, 100, 101

Naive Method: To solve the problem follow the below idea:

A simple method is to run a loop from 1 to n, and call decimal to binary inside the loop.

Code-

C++

// C++ program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;


void generatePrintBinary(int n)
{
   for(int i=1;i<=n;i++){
       string str="";
       int temp=i;
       while(temp){
           if(temp&1){str=to_string(1)+str;}
           else{str=to_string(0)+str;}
           
           temp=temp>>1;
       }
       cout<<str<<endl;
   }
}

// Driver code
int main()
{
    int n = 10;

    // Function call
    generatePrintBinary(n);
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n
import java.util.*;

public class Main {

    static void generatePrintBinary(int n) {
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
            String str = "";
            int temp = i;
            while (temp != 0) {
                if ((temp & 1) == 1) {
                    str = "1" + str;
                } else {
                    str = "0" + str;
                }
                temp = temp >> 1;
            }
            System.out.println(str);
        }
    }

    // Driver code
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int n = 10;

        // Function call
        generatePrintBinary(n);
    }
}

Python

# Function to generate binary numbers from 1 to n
def generatePrintBinary(n):
    for i in range(1, n + 1):
        str = ""
        temp = i
        # Convert decimal number to binary number
        while temp:
            if temp & 1:
                str = "1" + str
            else:
                str = "0" + str
            temp >>= 1  # Right shift the bits of temp by 1 position
        print(str)


n = 10

# Function call
generatePrintBinary(n)

// C# program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n
using System;

class GFG {
    static void generatePrintBinary(int n)
    {
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
            string str = "";
            int temp = i;
            while (temp != 0) {
                if ((temp & 1) != 0) {
                    str = "1" + str;
                }
                else {
                    str = "0" + str;
                }

                temp = temp >> 1;
            }
            Console.WriteLine(str);
        }
    }

    // Driver code
    static void Main()
    {
        int n = 10;

        // Function call
        generatePrintBinary(n);
    }
}

Javascript

// JavaScript program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n

function generatePrintBinary(n) {
  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
    let str = "";
    let temp = i;
    while (temp) {
      if (temp & 1) {
        str = "1" + str;
      } else {
        str = "0" + str;
      }

      temp = temp >> 1;
    }
    console.log(str);
  }
}

// Driver code
let n = 10;

// Function call
generatePrintBinary(n);

Output-

Time Complexity: O(N*logN),N for traversing from 1 to N and logN for decimal to binary conversion
Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Generate Binary Numbers from 1 to n using the queue:

Follow the given steps to solve the problem:

Create an empty queue of strings
Enqueue the first binary number “1” to the queue.
Now run a loop for generating and printing n binary numbers.
- Dequeue and Print the front of queue.
- Append “0” at the end of front item and enqueue it.
- Append “1” at the end of front item and enqueue it.

Thanks to Vivek for suggesting this approach.
Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// This function uses queue data structure to print binary
// numbers
void generatePrintBinary(int n)
{
    // Create an empty queue of strings
    queue<string> q;

    // Enqueue the first binary number
    q.push("1");

    // This loops is like BFS of a tree with 1 as root
    // 0 as left child and 1 as right child and so on
    while (n--) {
        // print the front of queue
        string s1 = q.front();
        q.pop();
        cout << s1 << "\n";

        string s2 = s1; // Store s1 before changing it

        // Append "0" to s1 and enqueue it
        q.push(s1.append("0"));

        // Append "1" to s2 and enqueue it. Note that s2
        // contains the previous front
        q.push(s2.append("1"));
    }
}

// Driver code
int main()
{
    int n = 10;

    // Function call
    generatePrintBinary(n);
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n

import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.Queue;

public class GenerateBNo {
    // This function uses queue data structure to print
    // binary numbers
    static void generatePrintBinary(int n)
    {
        // Create an empty queue of strings
        Queue<String> q = new LinkedList<String>();

        // Enqueue the first binary number
        q.add("1");

        // This loops is like BFS of a tree with 1 as root
        // 0 as left child and 1 as right child and so on
        while (n-- > 0) {
            // print the front of queue
            String s1 = q.peek();
            q.remove();
            System.out.println(s1);

            // Store s1 before changing it
            String s2 = s1;

            // Append "0" to s1 and enqueue it
            q.add(s1 + "0");

            // Append "1" to s2 and enqueue it. Note that s2
            // contains the previous front
            q.add(s2 + "1");
        }
    }

    // Driver code
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        int n = 10;

        // Function call
        generatePrintBinary(n);
    }
}
// This code is contributed by Sumit Ghosh

Python

# Python3 program to generate binary numbers from
# 1 to n

# This function uses queue data structure to print binary numbers


def generatePrintBinary(n):

    # Create an empty queue
    from queue import Queue
    q = Queue()

    # Enqueue the first binary number
    q.put("1")

    # This loop is like BFS of a tree with 1 as root
    # 0 as left child and 1 as right child and so on
    while(n > 0):
        n -= 1
        # Print the front of queue
        s1 = q.get()
        print(s1)

        # Append "0" to s1 and enqueue it
        q.put(s1+"0")

        # Append "1" to s1 and enqueue it. 
        q.put(s1+"1")


# Driver code
if __name__ == "__main__":
    n = 10

    # Function call
    generatePrintBinary(n)

# This code is contributed by Nikhil Kumar Singh(nickzuck_007)

// C# program to generate binary
// numbers from 1 to n
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class GFG {
    // This function uses queue data
    // structure to print binary numbers
    public static void generatePrintBinary(int n)
    {
        // Create an empty queue of strings
        LinkedList<string> q = new LinkedList<string>();

        // Enqueue the first binary number
        q.AddLast("1");

        // This loops is like BFS of a tree
        // with 1 as root 0 as left child
        // and 1 as right child and so on
        while (n-- > 0) {
            // print the front of queue
            string s1 = q.First.Value;
            q.RemoveFirst();
            Console.WriteLine(s1);

            // Store s1 before changing it
            string s2 = s1;

            // Append "0" to s1 and enqueue it
            q.AddLast(s1 + "0");

            // Append "1" to s2 and enqueue it.
            // Note that s2 contains the previous front
            q.AddLast(s2 + "1");
        }
    }

    // Driver Code
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        int n = 10;

        // Function call
        generatePrintBinary(n);
    }
}

// This code is contributed by Shrikant13

Javascript

<script>

// JavaScript program to generate binary numbers from 1 to n

// This function uses queue data structure to print binary
// numbers
function generatePrintBinary(n)
{
    // Create an empty queue of strings
    var q = [];

    // Enqueue the first binary number
    q.push("1");

    // This loops is like BFS of a tree with 1 as root
    // 0 as left child and 1 as right child and so on
    while (n--) {
        // print the front of queue
        var s1 = q[0];
        q.shift();
        document.write( s1 + "<br>");

        var s2 = s1; // Store s1 before changing it

        // Append "0" to s1 and enqueue it
        q.push(s1+"0");

        // Append "1" to s2 and enqueue it. Note that s2
        // contains the previous front
        q.push(s2+"1");
    }
}

// Driver program to test above function
var n = 10;
generatePrintBinary(n);

</script>