A data structure is a systematic way of organizing, storing, and managing data to enable efficient access and modification. It defines how data is arranged in memory and provides methods for interacting with that data. Data structures are foundational to computer science and are used in various applications, from software development to artificial intelligence.
Common Types of Data Structures:
- Arrays: A collection of elements stored at contiguous memory locations, ideal for storing data of the same type.
- Linked Lists: A sequence of nodes where each node contains data and a reference to the next node, suitable for dynamic memory allocation.
- Stacks and Queues: Structures for managing data in a specific order (LIFO for stacks, FIFO for queues).
- Trees: Hierarchical structures with nodes, used in databases and decision-making algorithms.
- Graphs: A set of nodes connected by edges, used to represent relationships like social networks or navigation maps.
- Hash Tables: Store key-value pairs for fast data retrieval using a hash function.
Why It Matters:
Efficient data structures are crucial for building scalable algorithms and systems. They determine how quickly data can be accessed, modified, or analyzed, impacting the performance of applications ranging from databases to AI models.
