DATASTRUCTURE

LINEAR NONLINEAR

ARRAY
TREES&
LINKLIST STACK
GRAPH
QUEUE
 Linked list
Linked list is a linear data structure. It contains nodes. Each
node contains two parts, i.e. DATA part and LINK part.
✓The data contains elements and
✓Link contains address of another node.

Node

Data Link/Address
Start

25 10 15 /
10
 Cont.

https://www.w3resource.com/c-programming-exercises/linked_list/c-linked_list-exercise-1.php
 Linked List Demo

addr Value
Node third = new Node();
C0 -
third.item = "Carol";
third.next = null; C1 -

Node second = new Node(); C2 -

second.item = "Bob"; C3 -
second.next = third;
C4 -
Node first = new Node();
C5 -
first.item = "Alice";
first.next = second; C6 -

C7 -

C8 -

C9 -

CA -

CB -

CC -

CD -

CE -

CF -

main memory
1
 Operations on Linked Lists
The basic operations on linked lists are
1. Creation
2. Insertion
3. Deletion
4. Traversing
5. Searching
6. Concatenation
7. Display
 Cont.

1. The creation operation is used to create a

linked list.
2. Insertion operation is used to insert a new
node in the linked list at the specified
position. A new node may be inserted at the
beginning of a linked list , at the end of the
linked list , at the specified position in a
linked list. If the list itself is empty , then the
new node is inserted as a first node.
 Cont.
3. Deletion operation is used to delete on item from
the linked list. It may be deleted from the
beginning, end or specified position in the list.
4. Traversing operation is a process of going
through all the nodes of a linked list from one
end to the another end.
If we start traversing from the first node towards the
last node, It is called forward traversing.
If the traversal start from the last node towards the
first node , it is called back word traversing.
 Cont.
5. Searching operation is a process of
accessing the desired node in the list. We
start searching node –by-node and compare
the data of the node with the key.
6. Concatenation operation is the process of
appending the second list to the end of the
first list. When we concatenate two lists,
the resultant list becomes larger in size.
7. The display operation is used to print each
and every node’s information.
 Limitations of Arrays
Arrays are simple to understand and elements of
an array are easily accessible. But arrays have
some limitations.
✓Arrays have a fixed dimension.
✓Once the size of an array is decided it can not be
increased or decreased during execution.
✓Array elements are always stored in contiguous
memory locations.
To over come this limitations we use linked list.
 Why Linked list ?
✓Suppose you are writing a program which will store marks of
100 students in Data Structure. Then our logic would be like
this during compile time –
✓int marks[100];
✓Now at run time i.e. after executing program if number of
students are 101 then how you will store the address of 101th
student ?
✓Or if you need to store only 40 students then again you are
wasting memory unnecessarily.
✓Using linked list you can create memory at run time or free
memory at run time so that you will able to fulfil your need in
efficient manner.
 Types of Linked Lists

1. Single linked list

2. Double linked list
3. Circular linked list
4. Circular double linked list
 Single linked list

A single linked list is one in which all nodes

are linked together in some sequential
manner.

Start

500 45 100 60 200 35 N

 Cont.

First

10 1000 15 2000 20 NULL

4000 1000 2000

 Circular Linked List
• A circular linked list is one which has no beginning and
no ending. The null pointer in the last node of a linked list
is replaced with the address of its first node such a list is
called circular linked list.
• Last node contains the address of the first node

45 100 60 200 35 400

400 100 200
 Single Linked List

A single linked list has some disadvantages

❖That it can traverse it in one direction.
❖Many applications require searching backward
and forward travelling sections of a list.
 Doubly Linked list

• A two way list is a linear collection of data

elements called nodes.
• When each node is divided into three parts.
They are two link parts and one data part.
node
prev data next
 Doubly Linked list

First

NULL 10 2000 1000 15 3000 2000 20 NULL

1000 2000 3000

Contains the address of previous node and next node

 Circular Doubly Linked list

First

3000 10 2000 1000 15 3000 2000 20 1000

1000 2000 3000

Contains the address of first node and last node

 Insert into a Linked List
START

Node A Node B
 Cont.
START

Node A Node B

START
(a). Before Insertion

Node A Node B

------------------------
Node N

(b). After Insertion

 Cont.
START
Data list

Node A Node B

AVAIL

Node N

Free-storage list

AVAIL It is a list of free nodes in the memory. It contains unused memory

cells and these memory cells can be used in future. It is also known as ‘List
of Available Space’ or ‘Free Storage List’ or ‘Free Pool’.
 Cont.
START
Data list

Node A Node B
------------------------

AVAIL

Node N
....

Free-storage list
 Cont.

1. The nextpointer field of node A now points to the new

node N, to which AVAIL previously pointed.
2. AVAIL now points to the second node in the free pool,
to which node N previously pointed.
3. The nextpointer field of node N now points to node
B, to which node A previously pointed.
 Deletion from a Linked List
START

Node A Node N Node B

START (a). Before Deletion

Node A Node N Node B

(b). After Deletion

 Cont.
START

Node A Node N Node B

AVAIL

...

Free-storage list
 Cont.
1. The nextpointer field of node A now points to the
new node B, where node N previously pointed.
2. The nextpointer field of node N now points to the
original first node in the free pool, where AVAIL
previously pointed.
3. AVAIL now points to the deleted node N.
https://visualgo.net/en/list
 Wastage of Memory
Pointer Requires extra memory for storage.
Suppose we want to store 3 integer data items then we have to allocate
memory –
In case of array –
Memory Required in Array = 3 Integer * Size
= 3 * 2 bytes
= 6 bytes
In case of array –
Memory Required in LL = 3 Integer * Size of Node
= 3 * Size of Node Structure
= 3 * Size(data + address pointer)
= 3 * (2 bytes + x bytes)
= 6 bytes + 3x bytes
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Linked List
Applications of Linked List
Difference Between Array and
Linked List