BEFORE Programming 101 : Data structures

BEFORE Programming 101 : Data structures

Mastering the Art of Data Structures: How to Build Efficient Programs

Concepts :

DATA :

In the context of computer science, "data" in data structures refers to the pieces of information that a program needs to store and manipulate in order to perform its tasks.

Operations :

In data structures, "operations" refer to the actions or functions that can be performed on the data that is stored within them. Different data structures support different types of operations, depending on their design and intended use.

Some common operations that are supported by data structures include:

  • Insertion: adding new data to the structure

  • Deletion: removing existing data from the structure

  • Search: finding specific data within the structure

  • Access: retrieving data from the structure

  • Traversal: visiting all data in the structure

  • Sorting: arranging data in a specific order

  • Merging: combining two or more structures into a single one

  • Splitting: dividing a structure into multiple smaller ones

Representation:

In data structures, "representation" refers to the way in which data is organized and stored within the structure. The representation of data is an important aspect of designing data structures, as it can have a significant impact on the performance of the structure when performing various operations.

Time and space complexity:

In data structures, time complexity and space complexity are measures of the performance and resource usage of the structure, respectively.

Time complexity refers to the amount of time required by an algorithm or operation to complete, as a function of the size of the input. It is typically measured in terms of the number of basic operations (such as comparisons, assignments, or arithmetic operations) that are performed. The time complexity of an algorithm or operation can vary depending on the specific data structure being used, and can be affected by factors such as the size of the input, the representation of the data, and the efficiency of the algorithm.

Algorithms:

In data structures, an algorithm is a set of well-defined steps or procedures that are used to perform a specific task or solve a problem. Algorithms are used in conjunction with data structures to manipulate the data and perform various operations, such as sorting, searching, or inserting elements.

Different data structures may require different algorithms to operate effectively. For example, a sorting algorithm such as Quicksort or Mergesort may be used with an array or a linked list to rearrange the elements in a specific order. Similarly, a searching algorithm such as Binary Search may be used with a sorted array or a binary search tree to find a specific element in the data structure.