Data Structure Visualizer

Understanding Data Structures

Data structures are fundamental to computer science and programming. They organize and store data efficiently for specific operations. This visualizer demonstrates how common data structures work with interactive operations.

Understanding data structures helps you choose the right one for your use case. Arrays offer fast random access. Stacks follow LIFO. Queues follow FIFO. Linked lists allow efficient insertion. Trees enable fast searching.

Arrays

Arrays store elements in contiguous memory with index-based access. Access is O(1) but insertion/deletion is O(n) due to shifting. Best for random access and when size is known.

Stacks and Queues

Stacks are LIFO (Last In, First Out) - like a stack of plates. Queues are FIFO (First In, First Out) - like a line of people. Both have O(1) push/pop operations.

Linked Lists

Linked lists store elements with pointers to next elements. Insertion at head is O(1). No random access. Good when frequent insertions/deletions are needed.

Binary Search Trees

BSTs maintain sorted order with left children smaller and right children larger. Search, insert, delete are O(log n) average. Degrades to O(n) if unbalanced.