IT2153/IT2352/IT2553/IT2653/IT2852

Data Structures & Algorithms

Topic 08: Stacks
version 1.0

(Content adapted from – Data Structures & Algorithms using Python.

Rance D. Necaise, Wiley, 1st Edition, 2011.)

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Stacks
 What is a Stack?
 Stack ADT
 Stack Implementation (with a Python
List)
 Stack Application
 Prefix / Infix / Postfix Expressions
 Evaluating Postfix Expressions

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 What is a Stack?
 Stack is a linear data structure that has
restrictions on how items are added to
and removed from it.
 The last item to be added is the first item to
be removed
 Known as last-in, first-out (LIFO)
 Push – add an item to a stack
 Pop – remove an item from a stack
 Peek or Top – return the top item of a stack

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 What is a Stack?
A push (add) B push

Top of
Top of A
stack
stack

pop (remove)

Top of
stack B Top of
A stack A

A stack is a data structure of ordered items where items can

be added and removed only at one end (called the top).

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 The Stack ADT
 ADT – Abstract Data Types
 A type (or class) of objects whose behaviour
is defined by a set of values and a set of
operations.

 E.g. Stack ADT, Queue ADT, Tree ADT etc.

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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 6
Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Stack Implementation (with a Python List)

# Implementation of the Stack ADT using a Python list.

class Stack :
# Creates an empty stack.
def __init__( self ):
self._theItems = list()

# Returns True if the stack is empty or False

# otherwise.
def isEmpty( self ):

# Returns the number of items in the stack.

def __len__ ( self ):

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Stack Implementation (with a Python List)

# Returns the top item on the stack without

# removing it.
def peek( self ):
assert not self.isEmpty(), \
"Cannot peek at an empty stack"

# Removes and returns the top item on the stack.

def pop( self ):
assert not self.isEmpty(), \
"Cannot pop from an empty stack"

# Push an item onto the top of the stack.

def push( self, item ):

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Evaluating Mathematical
Expressions

 How would you evaluate the following

mathematical expression?
A * B + C / D

Python’s Operator 1st: A * B

Precedence:
2nd: C / D
https://docs.python.or
g/3/reference/expressi
3rd: Concluding
ons.html with the addition
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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Evaluating Mathematical
Expressions

 To simplify the evaluation of a

mathematical expression for a computer
program, express it in another form:

 Instead of:
 A * B + C / D  Infix
 We represent it as:
 A B * C D / +  Postfix
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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Prefix / Infix / Postfix Expressions

 There are three different notations to

represent a mathematical expressions

Prefix - operator appears before its operands

(e.g. + 2 3).
Infix - operator appears in between its operands
(e.g. 2 + 3).
Postfix - operator appears after its operands
(e.g. 2 3 +)

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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Prefix / Infix / Postfix Expressions

Prefix Expression Infix Expression Postfix Expression

+ab a+b ab+

-+abc a+b-c ab+c-

*+ab-cd (a + b) * (c - d) ab+cd-*

Advantages: Prefix and Postfix need not use parentheses

to override order of precedence and both create expressions
in unique form.
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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Converting from Infix to Postfix
 Convert A * B + C / D to Postfix
Step 1: Place parentheses around every group of
operators in the correct order of evaluation:
((A * B) + (C / D))

Step 2: For each set of parentheses, move the

operator from the middle to the end preceding the
corresponding closing parenthesis:
((A B *)(C D /) +)
Step 3: Remove all of the parentheses:
A B * C D / +
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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Converting from Infix to Postfix
 Convert A * (B + C) / D to Postfix
Step 1: Place parentheses around every group of
operators in the correct order of evaluation:
((A * (B + C)) / D)

Step 2: For each set of parentheses, move the

operator from the middle to the end preceding the
corresponding closing parenthesis:
((A (B C +) *) D /)
Step 3: Remove all of the parentheses:
A B C + * D /
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Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Infix to Prefix
 What about converting from Infix to
Prefix notation?
 Apply similar steps except that the
operator is moved to the front of each set
of parentheses.

Refer to Tutorial Questions &

Past-Year Exam Questions.

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Evaluating Postfix Expressions
 Scan the expression, one character (or token)
at a time. For each token:
 Algorithm:
1) If the current item is an operand, push its value
onto the stack.
2) If the current item is an operator:
a) Pop the top two operands off the stack.
b) Perform the operation (top value is the right operand).
c) Push the result of this operation back onto the stack

 The final result of the expression is the last

value of the stack.
Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1
 Evaluating Postfix Expressions

A=8 C=3
B=2 D=4

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Evaluating Postfix Expressions

A=8 C=3
B=2 D=4

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1

 Past-Year Exam Question
 Trace and evaluate the postfix expression:
20 6 * 8 2 - / 4 * 15 -

Expression: 20 6 * 8 2 - / 4 * 15 -

2
Stack
6 8 8 6 4 15

20 20 120 120 120 120 20 20 80 80 65

Topic 08: Stacks AY2022/23S1