Data structures can be classified into several types based on various factors, such as how data is organized, how it is accessed, and what operations can be performed on it. Here are some common types of data structures:
- Arrays: Arrays are a collection of elements of the same data type, stored in contiguous memory locations. Elements can be accessed using their index or position in the array. Arrays can be one-dimensional or multi-dimensional.
- Linked Lists: Linked lists are a collection of nodes, where each node contains a value and a reference to the next node in the list. Linked lists can be singly linked or doubly linked.
- Stacks: Stacks are a data structure that follows the LIFO (Last In, First Out) principle. Elements are added and removed from the top of the stack. Stacks can be implemented using arrays or linked lists.
- Queues: Queues are a data structure that follows the FIFO (First In, First Out) principle. Elements are added at the rear end and removed from the front end of the queue. Queues can be implemented using arrays or linked lists.
- Trees: Trees are a hierarchical data structure consisting of nodes with parent-child relationships. Each node can have zero or more child nodes. Trees can be binary or non-binary, and they can have various types, such as binary search trees, AVL trees, and B-trees.
- Graphs: Graphs are a collection of vertices and edges that represent connections between them. Graphs can be directed or undirected, and they can have various types, such as weighted graphs, directed acyclic graphs, and bipartite graphs.
- Hash Tables: Hash tables are a data structure that stores key-value pairs and uses a hash function to map keys to indexes in an array. They provide constant time complexity for searching, insertion, and deletion in the average case.
- Heaps: Heaps are a tree-based data structure that satisfies the heap property. In a max heap, the value of each node is greater than or equal to the values of its children. In a min heap, the value of each node is less than or equal to the values of its children. Heaps are commonly used in priority queues.
- Tries: Tries are a tree-based data structure that stores strings or sequences of characters. Each node in the trie represents a prefix of a string, and the edges represent the characters in the string. Tries can be used for efficient string searching and prefix matching.
These are some of the most common types of data structures. Each type has its own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, and it's important to choose the appropriate data structure based on the problem requirements and the type of operations that will be performed on the data.
