1. Introduction

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What is Data Structure ?

As the name suggests it is the Structure of data or in other words structure of organizing the data in memory. Data Structure is not a programming language rather it is a set of algorithms to structure the data in memory.


Types of Data Structure:





1)       Primitive

2)       Non-Primitive

a)       Linear

b)       Non-Linear

Primitive:  Primitive data structures are pre-defined within the compiler library. Users can use those to hold a single value. Examples are int, char, float, double etc.

Non-Primitive: Non primitive data structures are defined by the users like Linked List, Graphs, Trees, Stack, Queue etc.

Linear: The arrangement of data is in sequential manner or linear form. Arrays, Linked-list, Stack, Queues uses this type of data structure.

Non-Linear: Here the arrangement of data doesn’t maintain any order. Data Structure like Graphs, Trees, Heap are this type only.

Advantages of Data structures

The following are the advantages of a data structure:

  • Efficiency: If the choice of a data structure for implementing a particular ADT is proper, it makes the program very efficient in terms of time and space.
  • Reusability: The data structures provide reusability means that multiple client programs can use the data structure.
  • Abstraction: The data structure specified by an ADT also provides the level of abstraction. The client cannot see the internal working of the data structure, so it does not have to worry about the implementation part. The client can only see the interface.

Major Operations

The major or the common operations that can be performed on the data structures are:
·         Traversing: We can iterate through all elements in the data structure.
·         Searching: We can search for any element in a data structure.
·         Sorting: We can sort the elements of a data structure either in an ascending or descending order.
·         Insertion: We can also insert the new element in a data structure.
·         Updation: We can also update the element, i.e., we can replace the element with another element.
·         Deletion: We can also perform the delete operation to remove the element from the data structure.

What is an Algorithm?

The formal definition of an algorithm is that it contains the finite set of instructions which are being carried in a specific order to perform the specific task. It is represented using pseudo code or flowchart.

What are the characteristics of an Algorithm?

  • Input: An algorithm must have some inputs.
  • Output: We will get 1 or more output at the end of an algorithm.
  • Unambiguity: An algorithm should be unambiguous which means that the instructions in an algorithm should be clear and simple.
  • Finiteness: An algorithm should have finiteness. Here, finiteness means that the algorithm should contain a limited number of instructions, i.e., the instructions should be countable.
  • Effectiveness: An algorithm should be effective as each instruction in an algorithm affects the overall process.
  • Language independent: An algorithm must be language-independent so that the instructions in an algorithm can be implemented in any of the languages with the same output.

Example : Pseudocode for checking greatest number among 3

Step 1: Start

Step 2: Declare variables a,b and c.

Step 3: Read variables a,b and c.

Step 4: If a > b

           If a > c

              Display a is the largest number.

           Else

              Display c is the largest number.

        Else

           If b > c

              Display b is the largest number.

           Else

              Display c is the greatest number. 

Step 5: Stop


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