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Data Structure

The document discusses data structures, which are ways of organizing and storing data in computer memory so it can be accessed efficiently. Some examples are arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees. Data structures are important for algorithms and improving program performance by allowing fast storage and retrieval of user data. Key concepts discussed include data, records, files, and choosing appropriate data structures for problems. The objectives of data structures are correctness in all situations and efficiency in processing speed and memory usage.

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amaravathi R
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31 views

Data Structure

The document discusses data structures, which are ways of organizing and storing data in computer memory so it can be accessed efficiently. Some examples are arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees. Data structures are important for algorithms and improving program performance by allowing fast storage and retrieval of user data. Key concepts discussed include data, records, files, and choosing appropriate data structures for problems. The objectives of data structures are correctness in all situations and efficiency in processing speed and memory usage.

Uploaded by

amaravathi R
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Data Structure 

:Data Structure is a particular way of storing and organizing data in the


memory of the computer so that these data can easily be retrieved and efficiently
utilized in the future when required. The data can be managed in various ways, like the
logical or mathematical model for a specific organization of data is known as a data
structure.

The scope of a particular data model depends on two factors:

1. First, it must be loaded enough into the structure to reflect the definite
correlation of the data with a real-world object.
2. Second, the formation should be so straightforward that one can adapt to
process the data efficiently whenever necessary.

Some examples of Data Structures are Arrays, Linked Lists, Stack, Queue, Trees, etc. Data
Structures are widely used in almost every aspect of Computer Science, i.e., Compiler
Design, Operating Systems, Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, and many more.

Data Structures are the main part of many Computer Science Algorithms as they allow
the programmers to manage the data in an effective way. It plays a crucial role in
improving the performance of a program or software, as the main objective of the
software is to store and retrieve the user's data as fast as possible.

Basic Terminologies related to Data Structures


Data Structures are the building blocks of any software or program. Selecting the
suitable data structure for a program is an extremely challenging task for a programmer.

The following are some fundamental terminologies used whenever the data structures
are involved:

1. Data: We can define data as an elementary value or a collection of values. For


example, the Employee's name and ID are the data related to the Employee.
2. Data Items: A Single unit of value is known as Data Item.
3. Group Items: Data Items that have subordinate data items are known as Group
Items. For example, an employee's name can have a first, middle, and last name.
4. Elementary Items: Data Items that are unable to divide into sub-items are
known as Elementary Items. For example, the ID of an Employee.
5. Entity and Attribute: A class of certain objects is represented by an Entity. It
consists of different Attributes. Each Attribute symbolizes the specific property of
that Entity. For example,

Attributes ID Name Gender Job Title

Values 1234 Stacey M. Hill Female Software Developer

Entities with similar attributes form an Entity Set. Each attribute of an entity set has a
range of values, the set of all possible values that could be assigned to the specific
attribute.

The term "information" is sometimes utilized for data with given attributes of
meaningful or processed data.

1. Field: A single elementary unit of information symbolizing the Attribute of an


Entity is known as Field.
2. Record: A collection of different data items are known as a Record. For example,
if we talk about the employee entity, then its name, id, address, and job title can
be grouped to form the record for the employee.
3. File: A collection of different Records of one entity type is known as a File. For
example, if there are 100 employees, there will be 25 records in the related file
containing data about each employee.

Understanding the Need for Data Structures


As applications are becoming more complex and the amount of data is increasing every
day, which may lead to problems with data searching, processing speed, multiple
requests handling, and many more. Data Structures support different methods to
organize, manage, and store data efficiently. With the help of Data Structures, we can
easily traverse the data items. Data Structures provide Efficiency, Reusability, and
Abstraction.
Why should we learn Data Structures?

1. Data Structures and Algorithms are two of the key aspects of Computer Science.
2. Data Structures allow us to organize and store data, whereas Algorithms allow us
to process that data meaningfully.
3. Learning Data Structures and Algorithms will help us become better
Programmers.
4. We will be able to write code that is more effective and reliable.
5. We will also be able to solve problems more quickly and efficiently.

Understanding the Objectives of Data Structures


Data Structures satisfy two complementary objectives:

1. Correctness: Data Structures are designed to operate correctly for all kinds of


inputs based on the domain of interest. In order words, correctness forms the
primary objective of Data Structure, which always depends upon the problems
that the Data Structure is meant to solve.
2. Efficiency: Data Structures also requires to be efficient. It should process the data
quickly without utilizing many computer resources like memory space. In a real-
time state, the efficiency of a data structure is a key factor in determining the
success and failure of the process.

Understanding some Key Features of Data Structures


Some of the Significant Features of Data Structures are:

1. Robustness: Generally, all computer programmers aim to produce software that


yields correct output for every possible input, along with efficient execution on all
hardware platforms. This type of robust software must manage both valid and
invalid inputs.
2. Adaptability: Building software applications like Web Browsers, Word
Processors, and Internet Search Engine include huge software systems that
require correct and efficient working or execution for many years. Moreover,
software evolves due to emerging technologies or ever-changing market
conditions.
3. Reusability: The features like Reusability and Adaptability go hand in hand. It is
known that the programmer needs many resources to build any software, making
it a costly enterprise. However, if the software is developed in a reusable and
adaptable way, then it can be applied in most future applications. Thus, by
executing quality data structures, it is possible to build reusable software, which
appears to be cost-effective and time saving.

Classification of Data Structures


A Data Structure delivers a structured set of variables related to each other in various
ways. It forms the basis of a programming tool that signifies the relationship between
the data elements and allows programmers to process the data efficiently.

4.

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