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2.1 03 Why Data Structures - !

Data structures are needed to organize data in efficient ways for different problems and large amounts of data. While primitive arrays can work for some problems, user-defined data structures are often needed for greater flexibility. For example, maps allow correspondence between strings and objects unlike arrays. Different data structures also allow vastly different efficiencies depending on the problem, with some being faster or more memory efficient. Simply using built-in data structures without understanding how they work has risks, so it is important to learn about data structures even though built-ins exist.

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Ramsha Tariq
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22 views9 pages

2.1 03 Why Data Structures - !

Data structures are needed to organize data in efficient ways for different problems and large amounts of data. While primitive arrays can work for some problems, user-defined data structures are often needed for greater flexibility. For example, maps allow correspondence between strings and objects unlike arrays. Different data structures also allow vastly different efficiencies depending on the problem, with some being faster or more memory efficient. Simply using built-in data structures without understanding how they work has risks, so it is important to learn about data structures even though built-ins exist.

Uploaded by

Ramsha Tariq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Data Structures

Why Data Structures

Mostafa S. Ibrahim
Teaching, Training and Coaching since more than a decade!

Artificial Intelligence & Computer Vision Researcher


PhD from Simon Fraser University - Canada
Bachelor / Msc from Cairo University - Egypt
Ex-(Software Engineer / ICPC World Finalist)
2 Common Questions
● Why do we need data structures?

● Why do we study data structures if we have built-in ones?


The need
● Last lecture should implicitly be an answer that
● Primitive arrays are not enough
● We face many cases where we need our own user-defined data structures
○ What if want to make correspondence between a string and some object
■ E.g. data[“mostafa”] = someobject
■ But array is only based on integers? We need something that has greater flexibility!
● This is where map or hash-table can help us!
■ E.g. we have 1 Billion word text from articles and want to search for a specific word
● Array of words is very slow.
● But Trie or Suffix Tree data structures are much faster!
● Let’s see an industrial case: Google maps
Google Maps
● With maps, we can go
from a place to another
● We need data structure
to represent points and
streets!
○ We have a lot of data!
○ Constraints: time/date/car
● We need efficient
functions to find optimal
paths
Data Organization Perspective
● From a purpose to another, we may arrange the same data in different ways
○ There are many ways to implement a data structure
● When we have much data (Millions of users on facebook), things become
much more complex and critical!
○ E.g. Search the engines for scientific or social purposes
○ E.g. If a storm hits specific list of locations, how many homes will face a power outage?
○ E.g. We are in a war, and want to destroy the minimum number of bridges in a city to
disconnect 2 points of our enemy? Rockets are expensive!
Data Structure Efficiency
● Assume we have N (10000) employees
● Is a loop over these N employees as fast as 3 nested loops?
○ No, it seems like 10000 operations vs 10^12 operations!
○ Seems the first is efficient, but the 2nd is not!
● So how to measure the efficiency of a function?
○ The complexity (asymptotic) analysis in the algorithms field answers that.
○ The efficiency can be for time and memory (space)
○ For the same problem, we may arrange data in a way that is so fast in computations, but
another is much memory efficient
■ You maybe lucky and your DS is both time and memory efficient!
○ On a mobile: you may target a memory efficient approach
○ On real-time service: you may target a time efficient approach
Why not just use built-in DS?
● Using built-in data structures as a black box without understanding their
details is big risk in real projects
○ Typically you won’t realize the time/memory order
○ Typically you will use them improperly as you don’t recognize their differences
● More critical
○ In practice, you may need to design your own data structures, but you lack the skill
○ E.g. what are the different data organization perspectives that we may use?
■ What are the pros/cons of them?
■ The time/memory differences?
■ The tradeoffs?
● Side effect
○ Your thinking skills are improved. This is good for problem-solving & algorithms course
Use DS first & learn later approach
● You may learn using built-in data structures first, before learning them
○ What not How
● Many built-in data structures exist
● It is good during a programming course to use them!
○ See my Mastering 4 Critical Skills in C++17 course
○ You can even solve many problem-solving problems on them (See the course)
■ Mainly: Black-box solving
● When it comes to learning later, things are much easier to guess
○ Even you can implement some basic data structures by yourself!
● Trap: Many students after learn the usage, the decide to skip studying!
○ Don’t be that guy
“Acquire knowledge and impart it to the people.”

“Seek knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave.”

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