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Build your algorithmic thinking foundation
Section 1 of 5
Learn how to organize and store data effectively in memory for faster access, removal, and manipulation across various real-world scenarios.
A data structure is a specialized format for organizing, processing, retrieving and storing data. There are several basic and advanced types of data structures, all designed to arrange data to suit a specific purpose.
Data structures make it easy for users to access and work with the data they need in appropriate ways. Most importantly, data structures frame the organization of information so that machines and humans can better understand it.
Choosing the right data structure is the difference between an algorithm that runs in milliseconds and one that takes hours to complete.
Elements in sequence with unique predecessor/successor
Elements not in sequence, hierarchical relationships
Fixed size during compilation
Size can change during execution
Must access elements in order
Can directly access any element
All elements of same type
Elements of different types
Accessing each record exactly once so that certain items in the record may be processed.
Finding the location of the record with a given key value.
Adding a new record to the structure.
Removing a record from the structure.
Arranging the records in some logical order.
Combining the records in two different sorted files into a single sorted file.