UNIT-2

INTRODUCTION TO STACK

Stack
It is a linear data structure that follows a particular order in which the operations
are performed.
To implement the stack, it is required to maintain the pointer to the top of the
stack, which is the last element to be inserted because we can access the
elements only on the top of the stack.

LIFO( Last In First Out ):

This strategy states that the element that is inserted last will come out first. You
can take a pile of plates kept on top of each other as a real-life example. The plate
which we put last is on the top and since we remove the plate that is at the top,
we can say that the plate that was put last comes out first.

Basic Operations on Stack

In order to make manipulations in a stack, there are certain operations provided
to us.
• push() to insert an element into the stack
• pop() to remove an element from the stack
• top() Returns the top element of the stack.
• isEmpty() returns true if stack is empty else false.
• size() returns the size of stack.

Stack
Push:
Adds an item to the stack. If the stack is full, then it is said to be an Overflow
condition.
Algorithm for push:
begin
if stack is full
return
endif
else
increment top
stack[top] assign value
end else
end procedure
Pop:
Removes an item from the stack. The items are popped in the reversed order in
which they are pushed. If the stack is empty, then it is said to be
an Underflow condition.

Algorithm for pop:

begin
if stack is empty
return
endif
else
store value of stack[top]
decrement top
return value
end else
end procedure
Top:
Returns the top element of the stack.
Algorithm for Top:
begin
return stack[top]
end procedure
isEmpty:
Returns true if the stack is empty, else false.

Algorithm for isEmpty:

begin
if top < 1
return true
else
return false
end procedure

Understanding stack practically:

There are many real-life examples of a stack. Consider the simple example of
plates stacked over one another in a canteen. The plate which is at the top is the
first one to be removed, i.e. the plate which has been placed at the bottommost
position remains in the stack for the longest period of time. So, it can be simply
seen to follow the LIFO/FILO order.

Complexity Analysis:
• Time Complexity

Operations Complexity

push() O(1)

pop() O(1)

isEmpty() O(1)

size() O(1)
Types of Stacks:
• Fixed Size Stack: As the name suggests, a fixed size stack has a fixed
size and cannot grow or shrink dynamically. If the stack is full and an
attempt is made to add an element to it, an overflow error occurs. If
the stack is empty and an attempt is made to remove an element from
it, an underflow error occurs.
• Dynamic Size Stack: A dynamic size stack can grow or shrink
dynamically. When the stack is full, it automatically increases its size
to accommodate the new element, and when the stack is empty, it
decreases its size. This type of stack is implemented using a linked
list, as it allows for easy resizing of the stack.
In addition to these two main types, there are several other variations of Stacks,
including:
1. Infix to Postfix Stack: This type of stack is used to convert infix
expressions to postfix expressions.
2. Expression Evaluation Stack: This type of stack is used to evaluate
postfix expressions.
3. Recursion Stack: This type of stack is used to keep track of function
calls in a computer program and to return control to the correct
function when a function returns.
4. Memory Management Stack: This type of stack is used to store the
values of the program counter and the values of the registers in a
computer program, allowing the program to return to the previous
state when a function returns.
5. Balanced Parenthesis Stack: This type of stack is used to check the
balance of parentheses in an expression.
6. Undo-Redo Stack: This type of stack is used in computer programs to
allow users to undo and redo actions.
Applications of the stack:
• Infix to Postfix /Prefix conversion
• Redo-undo features at many places like editors, photoshop.
• Forward and backward features in web browsers
• Used in many algorithms like Tower of Hanoi, tree traversals, stock
span problems, and histogram problems.
• Backtracking is one of the algorithm designing techniques. Some
examples of backtracking are the Knight-Tour problem, N-Queen
problem, find your way through a maze, and game-like chess or
checkers in all these problems we dive into someway if that way is not
efficient we come back to the previous state and go into some another
path. To get back from a current state we need to store the previous
state for that purpose we need a stack.
• In Graph Algorithms like Topological Sorting and Strongly Connected
Components
• In Memory management, any modern computer uses a stack as the
primary management for a running purpose. Each program that is
running in a computer system has its own memory allocations
• String reversal is also another application of stack. Here one by one
each character gets inserted into the stack. So the first character of the
string is on the bottom of the stack and the last element of a string is
on the top of the stack. After Performing the pop operations on the
stack we get a string in reverse order.
• Stack also helps in implementing function call in computers. The last
called function is always completed first.
• Stacks are also used to implement the undo/redo operation in text
editor.

Implementation of Stack:
A stack can be implemented using an array or a linked list. In an array-based
implementation, the push operation is implemented by incrementing the index
of the top element and storing the new element at that index. The pop operation
is implemented by decrementing the index of the top element and returning the
value stored at that index. In a linked list-based implementation, the push
operation is implemented by creating a new node with the new element and
setting the next pointer of the current top node to the new node. The pop
operation is implemented by setting the next pointer of the current top node to
the next node and returning the value of the current top node.

Stacks are commonly used in computer science for a variety of applications,

including the evaluation of expressions, function calls, and memory
management. In the evaluation of expressions, a stack can be used to store
operands and operators as they are processed. In function calls, a stack can be
used to keep track of the order in which functions are called and to return
control to the correct function when a function returns. In memory management,
a stack can be used to store the values of the program counter and the values of
the registers in a computer program, allowing the program to return to the
previous state when a function returns.

In conclusion, a Stack is a linear data structure that operates on the LIFO

principle and can be implemented using an array or a linked list. The basic
operations that can be performed on a stack include push, pop, and peek, and
stacks are commonly used in computer science for a variety of applications,
including the evaluation of expressions, function calls, and memory
management.There are two ways to implement a stack –
• Using array
• Using linked list

Implementing Stack using Arrays:

// C program for array implementation of stack
#include <limits.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

// A structure to represent a stack

struct Stack {
int top;
unsigned capacity;
int* array;
};

// function to create a stack of given capacity. It initializes size of

// stack as 0
struct Stack* createStack(unsigned capacity)
{
struct Stack* stack = (struct Stack*)malloc(sizeof(struct Stack));
stack->capacity = capacity;
stack->top = -1;
stack->array = (int*)malloc(stack->capacity * sizeof(int));
return stack;
}

// Stack is full when top is equal to the last index

int isFull(struct Stack* stack)
{
return stack->top == stack->capacity - 1;
}
// Stack is empty when top is equal to -1
int isEmpty(struct Stack* stack)
{
return stack->top == -1;
}

// Function to add an item to stack. It increases top by 1

void push(struct Stack* stack, int item)
{
if (isFull(stack))
return;
stack->array[++stack->top] = item;
printf("%d pushed to stack\n", item);
}

// Function to remove an item from stack. It decreases top by 1

int pop(struct Stack* stack)
{
if (isEmpty(stack))
return INT_MIN;
return stack->array[stack->top--];
}

// Function to return the top from stack without removing it

int peek(struct Stack* stack)
{
if (isEmpty(stack))
return INT_MIN;
return stack->array[stack->top];
}

// Driver program to test above functions

int main()
{
struct Stack* stack = createStack(100);

push(stack, 10);
push(stack, 20);
push(stack, 30);

printf("%d popped from stack\n", pop(stack));

return 0;
}
Output
10 pushed into stack
20 pushed into stack
30 pushed into stack
30 Popped from stack
Top element is : 20
Elements present in stack : 20 10

Advantages of array implementation:

• Easy to implement.
• Memory is saved as pointers are not involved.
Disadvantages of array implementation:
• It is not dynamic i.e., it doesn’t grow and shrink depending on needs
at runtime. [But in case of dynamic sized arrays like vector in C++,
list in Python, ArrayList in Java, stacks can grow and shrink with
array implementation as well].
• The total size of the stack must be defined beforehand.

Implementing Stack using Linked List:

// C program for linked list implementation of stack
#include <limits.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

// A structure to represent a stack

struct StackNode {
int data;
struct StackNode* next;
};

struct StackNode* newNode(int data)

{
struct StackNode* stackNode =
(struct StackNode*)
malloc(sizeof(struct StackNode));
stackNode->data = data;
stackNode->next = NULL;
return stackNode;
}

int isEmpty(struct StackNode* root)

{
 return !root;
}
void push(struct StackNode** root, int data)
{
struct StackNode* stackNode = newNode(data);
stackNode->next = *root;
*root = stackNode;
printf("%d pushed to stack\n", data);
}

int pop(struct StackNode** root)

{
if (isEmpty(*root))
return INT_MIN;
struct StackNode* temp = *root;
*root = (*root)->next;
int popped = temp->data;
free(temp);

return popped;
}

int peek(struct StackNode* root)

{
if (isEmpty(root))
return INT_MIN;
return root->data;
}

int main()
{
struct StackNode* root = NULL;

push(&root, 10);
push(&root, 20);
push(&root, 30);

printf("%d popped from stack\n", pop(&root));

printf("Top element is %d\n", peek(root));

return 0;
}
Output
10 pushed to stack
20 pushed to stack
30 pushed to stack
30 popped from stack
Top element is 20
Elements present in stack : 20 10

Advantages of Linked List implementation:

• The linked list implementation of a stack can grow and shrink
according to the needs at runtime.
• It is used in many virtual machines like JVM.
Disadvantages of Linked List implementation:
• Requires extra memory due to the involvement of pointers.
• Random accessing is not possible in stack.