What is Data Structure?
A data structure is a particular way of organizing and storing data in a computer so that it can be used effectively. Different types of data structures are suited to different kinds of applications and some are highly specialized for specific tasks. Data structures can be used to store linear data, such as a list of names, or more complex data, such as a set of coordinates in a three-dimensional space. Data structures can also be used to store and manage relationships between data, such as a family tree.
How Data is Classified?
There are a variety of ways to classify data structures. One common classification is by the type of data they store. For example, some structures store only numeric data, others store only text data, and others can store both. Another classification is by the way the data is organized. For example, some structures store the data in a linear fashion, while others use a more complex arrangement.
Yet another classification is by the operations that can be performed on the data. For example, some structures allow for only basic operations such as insertion and retrieval, while others support more complex operations such as sorting and searching. Finally, data structures can also be classified by the level of abstraction they provide. For example, some structures provide a low-level view of the data, while others provide a more high-level view.
Types of Data Structures
Data structures can be broadly classified into two types: linear and non-linear. Linear data structures are those that are arranged in a linear fashion, such as arrays, stacks, and queues. Non-linear data structures, on the other hand, are those that are not arranged linearly, such as trees and graphs.
Linear data structures are easier to understand and work with, but they are not very efficient in terms of space and time complexity. Non-linear data structures are more complex, but they are more efficient in terms of space and time complexity.
Which type of data structure to use depends on the specific requirements of the application. For example, if we need to store a large amount of data and retrieve it quickly, a non-linear data structure would be more appropriate.
Linear data structure
A linear data structure is a data structure in which the data elements are arranged in a linear, sequential fashion. The most common examples of linear data structures are arrays and linked lists.
Arrays are the simplest form of linear data structures. They are contiguous blocks of memory in which the data elements are stored sequentially. The most common type of array is the one-dimensional array, in which the data elements are stored in a single row. However, arrays can also be two-dimensional, in which case the data elements are stored in a grid.
Linked lists are another type of linear data structure. In a linked list, the data elements are not stored in a contiguous block of memory. Instead, each data element is stored in a separate node, and the nodes are linked together linearly. Linked lists can be either singly-linked, in which each node only points to the next node in the list, or doubly-linked, in which each node points to both the next and previous nodes in the list.
Stacks are data structures that allow elements to be added and removed from the top of the stack.
Queues are data structures that allow elements to be added to the end of the queue and removed from the front of the queue
Non-Linear Data Structures
A non-linear data structure is a data structure that does not follow a linear order. That is, the data is not arranged in a sequence. Instead, it is organized in a way that allows for quick access and retrieval of data. Non-linear data structures include trees, hash tables, and graphs.
There are four main types of non-linear data structures: trees, graphs, hashing, and heaps.
Trees are probably the most common type of non-linear data structure. They are used to store data in a hierarchical fashion, with each node having zero or more child nodes.
Graphs are another common type of non-linear data structure. They are used to store data in a networked fashion, with each node having zero or more connections to other nodes.
Hashing is a technique for storing data in a way that makes it easy to look up. Heaps are a type of tree that is used to store data in a way that allows for quick retrieval of the maximum or minimum element.
Heap is a non-linear data structure that is used to store data in a way that allows easy retrieval of the maximum or minimum element. Heaps are typically implemented as binary trees, where each node has two child nodes. The value of each node is greater than or equal to the values of its child nodes, and the root node is the maximum or minimum element in the heap. Heaps are used in many applications, such as priority queues, heapsort, and priority queues.
In this blog, you have read about what data structure is. You also learned how the data structures are classified and the basic types of data structures. We hope that you found this blog to be helpful and we look forward to sharing more such blogs in the future too.
