⁉️What is Linked List?
A linked list is a data structure where each node contains data and a
pointer, and is connected in a single line to store data.
Each node
includes a pointer that points to the next node.
The pointer that points to the next node contains the address of the next node as its value.
The pointer variable of each node has the address of the data of the next node as its value, and the address of each pointer variable also exists separately.
A linked list does not arrange its elements in a physical location based on an index like an array.
Instead, it creates nodes and connects them to the next node using a pointer.
This allows linked lists to avoid rearranging their structure when inserting or deleting data.
👍Advantages of Linked Lists:
- Easy insertion and deletion of new elements.
- Less complexity in restructuring.
👎Disadvantages of Linked Lists:
- More memory usage compared to arrays.
- Inefficient search for specific elements.
📌Use Cases:
- Implementing dynamic data structures like stacks, queues, and hash tables.
- Maintaining and manipulating large datasets efficiently.
- Implementing memory management systems in programming languages.
- Building graph data structures to represent networks or relationships between objects.
- Implementing operating systems and file systems to manage and organize files and directories.
- Building compilers and interpreters to parse and store program instructions.
- Implementing AI and machine learning algorithms to store and process large amounts of data.
🖊️Summary:
Linked lists provide several advantages such as constant time insertion
and deletion, efficient use of memory, and flexibility in terms of size
and structure.
However, they also have some drawbacks such as slower
access times and higher overhead costs for storing and managing
pointers.
Therefore, linked lists are often used in combination with
other data structures to optimize their performance for specific
applications.
📖References:
- https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/data-structures/linked-list/
- https://www.tutorialspoint.com/data_structures_algorithms/linked_list_algorithm.htm
- https://cslibrary.stanford.edu/103/LinkedListBasics.pdf
- https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/algorithms/linked-lists/a/linked-lists