What is a data structure?
A data structure is a way of organizing and storing data in a computer to enable efficient access and use. It encompasses both the logical or mathematical representation of data and its implementation in a computer program.
Think of it like organizing your belongings in your room—clothes, computer, books, and so on. You could put everything in one spot, like under your bed (very inefficient), but every time you need something, you'd have to dig through the pile. The more organized your room is, the faster and easier it is to find what you need. Having an efficient data structure is like having a well-organized room, providing ease, clarity, and a sense of relief that everything is in its place.
Data structures can be divided in:
linear
Linear Data Structures organize elements sequentially with direct predecessor-successor relationships, enabling efficient O(1) ACCESS patterns. Ideal for memory-efficient storage and real-world applications like queue operations, stack management, and array implementations. Common examples are linked lists where elements follow strict insertion order.
non linear
Non-linear data structures manage complex hierarchical relationships through multi-dimensional connections, essential for graph algorithms and tree traversal systems. These network-based organizations enable efficient representation of social networks, file systems, and neural networks through structures like binary search trees and adjacency matrices, optimizing pathfinding and parent-child node operations.