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Linked List

A linked list is a linear data structure that differs from arrays by not storing elements in contiguous locations, instead linking them using pointers. Unlike arrays, linked lists offer dynamic sizing and easier insertion/deletion but lack random access and require extra memory for pointers. Each node in a linked list contains data and a pointer to the next node, and it is represented by a pointer to the first node, known as the head.

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8 views3 pages

Linked List

A linked list is a linear data structure that differs from arrays by not storing elements in contiguous locations, instead linking them using pointers. Unlike arrays, linked lists offer dynamic sizing and easier insertion/deletion but lack random access and require extra memory for pointers. Each node in a linked list contains data and a pointer to the next node, and it is represented by a pointer to the first node, known as the head.

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Programming Fundamentals

BS(IT) 1st Semester

“Linked List”

Linked List
Like arrays, Linked List is a linear data structure. Unlike arrays, linked list elements are
not stored at a contiguous location; the elements are linked using pointers.

Why Linked List?


Arrays can be used to store linear data of similar types, but arrays have the following
limitations.

1) The size of the arrays is fixed: So we must know the upper limit on the number of elements in
advance. Also, generally, the allocated memory is equal to the upper limit irrespective of the
usage.
2) Inserting a new element in an array of elements is expensive because the room has to be
created for the new elements and to create room existing elements have to be shifted but in Linked
list if we have the head node then we can traverse to any node through it and insert new node at
the required position.

For example, in a system, if we maintain a sorted list of IDs in an array id[].


id[] = [1000, 1010, 1050, 2000, 2040].
And if we want to insert a new ID 1005, then to maintain the sorted order, we have to move all the
elements after 1000 (excluding 1000).
Deletion is also expensive with arrays until unless some special techniques are used. For
example, to delete 1010 in id[], everything after 1010 has to be moved due to this so much work
is being done which affects the efficiency of the code.

Advantages over arrays


1) Dynamic size
2) Ease of insertion/deletion

Drawbacks:
1) Random access is not allowed. 2) Extra memory space for a pointer is required with each
element of the list.
3) Not cache friendly. Since array elements are contiguous locations, there is locality of reference
which is not there in case of linked lists.

Representation:
A linked list is represented by a pointer to the first node of the linked list. The first node is
called the head. If the linked list is empty, then the value of the head points to NULL.

Each node in a list consists of at least two parts:


1) data (we can store integer, strings or any type of data).
2) Pointer (Or Reference) to the next node (connects one node to another)

In C, we can represent a node using structures.


Using traversing method

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