UNIT-I

Introduction to data
structures
Data Structures
Contents

Introduction to data structures

Array based representation
List based representation
operations

2
Definition
▰ Data structure is representation of the logical
relationship existing between individual elements of
data.
▰ In other words, a data structure is a way of
organizing all data items that considers not only the
elements stored but also their relationship to each
other.
Introduction
▰ Data structure affects the design of both structural &
functional aspects of a program.
Program=algorithm + Data Structure
▰ You know that a algorithm is a step by step procedure
to solve a particular function.
▰ That means, algorithm is a set of instruction written to
carry out certain tasks & the data structure is the way of
organizing the data with their logical relationship retained.
▰ To develop a program of an algorithm, we should select an
appropriate data structure for that algorithm.
▰ Therefore algorithm and its associated data structures from
a program.
Classification of Data Structure
▰ Data structure are normally divided into two broad
categories:
▻ Primitive Data Structure
▻ Non-Primitive Data Structure
Classification of Data Structure

Data structure

Primitive DS Non-Primitive DS

Integer Float Character Pointer

Classification of Data Structure

Non-Primitive DS

Linear List Non-Linear List

Array Queue Graph Trees

Link List Stack

Primitive Data Structure
▰ There are basic structures and directly operated upon
by the machine instructions.
▰ In general, there are different representation on
different computers.
▰ Integer, Floating-point number, Character constants,
string constants, pointers etc, fall in this category.
Non-Primitive Data Structure
▰ There are more sophisticated data structures.
▰ These are derived from the primitive data structures.
▰ The non-primitive data structures emphasize on structuring of a
group of homogeneous (same type) or heterogeneous (different
type) data items.
▰ Lists, Stack, Queue, Tree, Graph are example of non-primitive
data structures.
▰ The design of an efficient data structure must take operations to
be performed on the data structure.
▰ The most commonly used operation on data structure are
broadly categorized into following types:
▻ Create
▻ Selection
▻ Updating
▻ Searching
▻ Sorting
▻ Merging
▻ Destroy or Delete
Different between them

▰ A primitive data structure is generally a basic structure that

is usually built into the language, such as an integer, a float.
▰ A non-primitive data structure is built out of primitive data
structures linked together in meaningful ways, such as a or a
linked-list, binary search tree, AVL Tree, graph etc.
 Description of various
Data Structures : Arrays
▰ An array is defined as a set of finite number of homogeneous elements or
same data items.
▰ It means an array can contain one type of data only, either all integer, all
float-point number or all character.
▰ Simply, declaration of array is as follows:
int arr[10]
▰ Where int specifies the data type or type of elements arrays stores.
▰ “arr” is the name of array & the number specified inside the square
brackets is the number of elements an array can store, this is also called
sized or length of array.
▰ Following are some of the concepts to be remembered about arrays:
▻ The individual element of an array can be accessed by specifying
name of the array, following by index or subscript inside square
brackets.
▻ The first element of the array has index zero[0]. It means the first
element and last element will be specified as:arr[0] & arr[9]
Respectively.
▻ The elements of array will always be stored in the consecutive
(continues) memory location.
▻ The number of elements that can be stored in an array, that is the size
of array or its length is given by the following equation:
(Upperbound-lowerbound)+1
▻ For the above array it would be
(9-0)+1=10,where 0 is the lower bound of array and 9 is the upper
bound of array.
▻ Array can always be read or written through loop. If we read a one-
dimensional array it require one loop for reading and other for writing
the array.
▻ For example: Reading an array
For(i=0;i<=9;i++)
scanf(“%d”,&arr[i]);
▻ For example: Writing an array
For(i=0;i<=9;i++)
printf(“%d”,arr[i]);
▻ If we are reading or writing two-dimensional array it would require two
loops. And similarly the array of a N dimension would required N loops.
▻ Some common operation performed on array are:
▻ Creation of an array
▻ Traversing an array
▻ Insertion of new element
▻ Deletion of required element
▻ Modification of an element
▻ Merging of arrays
 Lists

▰ A lists (Linear linked list) can be defined as a collection of

variable number of data items.
▰ Lists are the most commonly used non-primitive data
structures.
▰ An element of list must contain at least two fields, one for
storing data or information and other for storing address of
next element.
▰ As you know for storing address we have a special data
structure of list the address must be pointer type.
▰ Technically each such element is referred to as a node,
therefore a list can be defined as a collection of nodes as
show bellow:
[Linear Liked List]
Head

AAA BBB CCC

Information field Pointer field

▰ Types of linked lists:
▻ Single linked list
▻ Doubly linked list
▻ Single circular linked list
▻ Doubly circular linked list
 Stack
▰ A stack is also an ordered collection of elements like arrays, but
it has a special feature that deletion and insertion of elements
can be done only from one end called the top of the stack (TOP)
▰ Due to this property it is also called as last in first out type of
data structure (LIFO).
▰ It could be through of just like a stack of plates placed on table
in a party, a guest always takes off a fresh plate from the top
and the new plates are placed on to the stack at the top.
▰ It is a non-primitive data structure.
▰ When an element is inserted into a stack or removed from the
stack, its base remains fixed where the top of stack changes.
▰ Insertion of element into stack is called PUSH and deletion of
element from stack is called POP.
▰ The bellow show figure how the operations take place on a
stack:

PUSH POP

[STACK]
▰ The stack can be implemented into two ways:
▻ Using arrays (Static implementation)
▻ Using pointer (Dynamic implementation)
 Queue

▰ Queue are first in first out type of data structure (i.e. FIFO)
▰ In a queue new elements are added to the queue from one end
called REAR end and the element are always removed from
other end called the FRONT end.
▰ The people standing in a railway reservation row are an
example of queue.
 Queue
▰ Each new person comes and stands at the end of the row and
person getting their reservation confirmed get out of the row
from the front end.
▰ The bellow show figure how the operations take place on a
stack:
10 20 30 40 50

front rear
▰ The queue can be implemented into two ways:
▻ Using arrays (Static implementation)
▻ Using pointer (Dynamic implementation)
Trees

▰ A tree can be defined as finite set of data items (nodes).

▰ Tree is non-linear type of data structure in which data
items are arranged or stored in a sorted sequence.
▰ Tree represent the hierarchical relationship between
various elements.
In trees:
▰ There is a special data item at the top of hierarchy called the Root of the tree.
▰ The remaining data items are partitioned into number of mutually exclusive
subset, each of which is itself, a tree which is called the sub tree.
▰ The tree always grows in length towards bottom in data structures, unlike
natural trees which grows upwards.
▰ The tree structure organizes the data into branches, which related the
information. A root

B C

D E F G
Graph
▰ Graph is a mathematical non-linear data structure capable of representing
many kind of physical structures.
▰ It has found application in Geography, Chemistry and Engineering
sciences.
▰ Definition: A graph G(V,E) is a set of vertices V and a set of edges E.
▰ An edge connects a pair of vertices and many have weight such as length,
cost and another measuring instrument for according the graph.
▰ Vertices on the graph are shown as point or circles and edges are drawn as
arcs or line segment.
▰ Example of graph:

6
v2 v5
v1 v3
10

v1 8 11

15 9 v2
v3 vv4 v4
4
[a] Directed & Weighted [b] Undirected Graph
Graph
▰ Types of Graphs:
▻ Directed graph
▻ Undirected graph
▻ Simple graph
▻ Weighted graph
▻ Connected graph
▻ Non-connected graph