I implemented a solution to this coding challenge on the Code Golf. I have decent experience with C/C++, but it's been a while since I've used them extensively.

#include <math.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

// Prototypes
struct BTnode;
struct BTnode * bt_add_left(struct BTnode * node, int data);
struct BTnode * bt_add_right(struct BTnode * node, int data);
int             bt_depth(struct BTnode * tree);
int             bt_encode_preorder(int * list, struct BTnode * tree, int index);
struct BTnode * bt_node_create(int data);
int             bt_node_delete(struct BTnode * node);
void            bt_print_preorder(struct BTnode * tree);
int *           encode(struct BTnode * tree);
struct BTnode * decode(int * list);

// Binary tree node
struct BTnode
{
  int data;
  struct BTnode *left, *right;
};

// Add node to this node's left
struct BTnode * bt_add_left(struct BTnode * node, int data)
{
  struct BTnode * newnode = bt_node_create(data);
  node->left = newnode;
  return newnode;
}

// Add node to this node's right
struct BTnode * bt_add_right(struct BTnode * node, int data)
{
  struct BTnode * newnode = bt_node_create(data);
  node->right = newnode;
  return newnode;
}

// Determine depth of the tree
int bt_depth(struct BTnode * tree)
{
  int depth;
  int leftdepth = 0;
  int  rightdepth = 0;
  if( tree == NULL ) return 0;

  if( tree->left != NULL )
    leftdepth = bt_depth(tree->left);
  if( tree->right != NULL )
    rightdepth = bt_depth(tree->right);

  depth = leftdepth;
  if(rightdepth > leftdepth)
    depth = rightdepth;

  return depth + 1;
}

// Recursively add node values to integer list, using 0 as an unfolding sentinel
int bt_encode_preorder(int * list, struct BTnode * tree, int index)
{
  list[ index++ ] = tree->data;
  
  // This assumes the tree is complete (i.e., if the current node does not have
  // a left child, then it does not have a right child either)
  if( tree->left != NULL )
  {
    index = bt_encode_preorder(list, tree->left, index);
    index = bt_encode_preorder(list, tree->right, index);
  }

  // Add sentinel
  list[ index++ ] = 0;
  return index;
}

// Allocate memory for a node
struct BTnode * bt_node_create(int data)
{
  struct BTnode * newnode = (struct BTnode *) malloc(sizeof(struct BTnode));
  newnode->left = NULL;
  newnode->right = NULL;
  newnode->data = data;
  return newnode;
}

// Free node memory
int bt_node_delete(struct BTnode * node)
{
  int data;
  if(node == NULL)
    return 0;
  data = node->data;
  
  if(node->left != NULL)
    bt_node_delete(node->left);
  if(node->right != NULL)
    bt_node_delete(node->right);
    
  free(node);
  return data;
}

// Print all values from the tree in pre-order
void bt_print_preorder(struct BTnode * tree)
{
  printf("%d ", tree->data);
  if(tree->left != NULL)
    bt_print_preorder(tree->left);
  if(tree->right != NULL)
    bt_print_preorder(tree->right);
}

// Decode binary tree structure from a list of integers
struct BTnode * decode(int * list)
{
  struct BTnode * tree;
  struct BTnode * nodestack[ list[0] ];
  int i,j;

  // Handle trivial case
  if( list == NULL ) return NULL;

  tree = bt_node_create( list[1] );
  nodestack[ 1 ] = tree;

  j = 1;
  for(i = 2; i < list[0]; i++)
  {
    if( list[i] == 0 )
    {
      //printf("popping\n");
      j--;
    }
    else
    {
      if( nodestack[j]->left == NULL )
      {
        //printf("Adding %d to left of %d\n", list[i], nodestack[j]->data);
        nodestack[ j+1 ] = bt_add_left(nodestack[j], list[i]);
        j++;
      }
      else
      {
        //printf("Adding %d to right of %d\n", list[i], nodestack[j]->data);
        nodestack[ j+1 ] = bt_add_right(nodestack[j], list[i]);
        j++;
      }
    }
  }

  return tree;
}

// Encode binary tree structure as a list of integers
int * encode(struct BTnode * tree)
{
  int maxnodes, depth, length;
  int * list;
  int j;

  // Handle trivial case
  if(tree == NULL) return NULL;
  
  // Calculate maximum number of nodes in the tree from the tree depth
  maxnodes = 1;
  depth = bt_depth(tree);
  for(j = 0; j < depth; j++)
  {
    maxnodes += pow(2, j);
  }

  // Allocate memory for the list; we need two ints for each value plus the
  // first value in the list to indicate length
  list = (int *) malloc( ((maxnodes * 2)+1) * sizeof(int));
  length = bt_encode_preorder(list, tree, 1);
  list[ 0 ] = length;
  return list;
}

int main()
{
  struct BTnode * tree;
  struct BTnode * newtree;
  int * list;
  int i;

  /* Provided example
  
        5
       / \
      3   2
         / \
        2   1
       / \
      9   9
  */
  tree = bt_node_create(5);
  bt_add_left(tree, 3);
  struct BTnode * temp = bt_add_right(tree, 2);
  bt_add_right(temp, 1);
  temp = bt_add_left(temp, 2);
  bt_add_left(temp, 9);
  bt_add_right(temp, 9);
  printf("T (traversed in pre-order):  ");
  bt_print_preorder(tree);
  printf("\n");

  list = encode(tree);
  printf("T (encoded as integer list): ");
  for(i = 1; i < list[0]; i++)
    printf("%d ", list[i]);
  printf("\n");

  newtree = decode(list);
  printf("T' (decoded from int list):  ");
  bt_print_preorder(newtree);
  printf("\n\n");


  // Free memory
  bt_node_delete(tree);
  bt_node_delete(newtree);
  free(list);
  return 0;
}

How could my program be improved? I'm thinking mostly in terms of clarity/readability, maintainability, and reusability, but I also welcome any comments about my implementation of the data structures and any possible improvements in terms of performance or correctness.