Data structures are ways of organizing and storing data in a computer so that it can be accessed and manipulated efficiently. Here are some key concepts of data structures:
• Arrays: Arrays are a collection of elements of the same data type that are stored in contiguous memory locations. They are widely used due to their simplicity and efficiency for accessing individual elements.
• Linked Lists: Linked lists are a data structure in which each element (node) contains a pointer to the next element. They are useful for dynamic memory allocation, and can be used to implement stacks, queues, and other data structures.
• Stacks: Stacks are a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) data structure in which elements are added and removed from the top of the stack.
• Queues: Queues are a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) data structure in which elements are added at the rear and removed from the front of the queue.
• Trees: Trees are hierarchical data structures in which each element (node) has a parent and zero or more children. They are commonly used for searching and sorting.
• Graphs: Graphs are a collection of nodes (vertices) and edges that connect them. They are used to represent complex relationships between elements, such as networks or social relationships.
• Hash Tables: Hash tables are a data structure that uses a hash function to map keys to values. They provide fast lookup times and are widely used for data storage and retrieval.
• Heaps: Heaps are binary trees that satisfy the heap property, in which the key of each node is greater than or equal to (for a max heap) or less than or equal to (for a min heap) the keys of its children. They are used for sorting and priority queues.
• Tries: Tries are trees that store strings or sequences of elements. They are useful for searching for words or sequences of characters.
• Graph algorithms: Graph algorithms are used to solve problems on graphs, such as finding shortest paths or spanning trees.