Operation with a binary search tree

[mathon]

hi,

now i facing a problem which i do not know how to solve it...

My binary search tree structures stores a double number in every node,
whereby a higher number is appended as right child and a less or equal
number is appended as a left child. Now i want to write a function
which deletes the node with the highest number in the tree. I started
the function as follows:

template <class Item>
    void bst_remove_max(binary_tree_node<Item>*& root_ptr, Item&
removed)
    // Precondition: root_ptr is a root pointer of a non-empty binary
    // search tree.
    // Postcondition: The largest item in the binary search tree has
been
    // removed, and root_ptr now points to the root of the new
(smaller)
    // binary search tree. The reference parameter, removed, has been
set
    // to a copy of the removed item.
    {
        binary_tree_node<Item> *cursor;
        cursor = root_ptr;
        if(root_ptr != NULL)
        {
            if(cursor->right() == NULL)
            {
                root_ptr = root_ptr->left();
                delete cursor;
            }
            else
            {
                bst_remove_max(cursor->right(), removed);
            }
        }
        /** The base case occurs when there is no right child of the
         ** root_ptr node. In this case, the root_ptr should be moved
down
         ** to its left child and then the original root node must be
         ** deleted. There is also a recursive case, when the root does
         ** have a right child. In this case, a recursive call can be
made
         ** using root_ptr->right( ) as the first parameter.  */
    }

Unfortunately i do simply not know how i should complete this function
in oder that it would work correctly. Has probably anybody here some
hints for me..? :-/

matti

 

[mathon]

the problem is i do not exactly know for what do i need the removed
parameter, because i only delete the node with the highest number...??