Dynamic node chains connected through pointers for flexible insertion and deletion.
Theory
Code
Theory & Description
A linked list is a linear data structure where each element (node) contains data and a reference (pointer) to the next node. Unlike arrays, linked lists do not store elements in contiguous memory, which allows efficient insertion and deletion at any point without shifting elements. Common variants include singly linked, doubly linked, and circular linked lists.
Common Use Cases
- Dynamic memory allocation
- Implementing stacks, queues, and deques
- Undo functionality in applications
- Polynomial arithmetic and sparse matrices
Complexity Cheat Sheet
| Operation | Average | Worst |
|---|---|---|
| Access | O(n) | O(n) |
| Search | O(n) | O(n) |
| Insertion | O(1) | O(1) |
| Deletion | O(1) | O(1) |
| Space Complexity | O(n) | |
Visualization
Problems
Interactive Visualization
Interactive Visualization
An interactive playground for Linked Lists will appear here. Insert elements, step through operations, and watch the data structure update in real time.