Data
is everywhere! It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the data must be
structured in some way. If it wasn’t…NO! Don’t even go there. If you are
dealing with data, you better be dealing with the right data structures too.
What are data structures? Simply, “a data
structure is a format for organizing and storing data” (Rouse) so that the data
can be used efficiently.
There
are many different types of data structures that you can use depending on the
application. The following are a few of
the more popular ones with their advantages and disadvantages.
Array:
This data structure is used to collect numerous elements in a specific order. The
advantages include fast access if the position of the element is known and
quick inserts. The disadvantages include slow searches and deletes.
Linked
List: This is one of the most common data structures. Essentially, linked lists
are kind of like arrays in the sense that you have an ordered set of data
elements. What’s different? Well, each element has link to its successor and
sometimes its predecessor. Use this data structure if you want quick inserts
and deletes. One negative aspect of using this structure is slow searches.
Hash
Table: This is my absolute favorite data structure! The hash table is used to implement an
associative array (a structure that maps keys to their values. If you have a
large quantity of data, then you can use this to search that data in O(1) time!
The drawback is that the insertion and deletion times are somewhat larger than
other data structures.
There
are so many more data structures: Stack, Queue, Binary Tree, Red-Black Tree,
Heap, Graph and the list goes on. I recommend that you become familiar with all
of them since knowing them will give you a good idea of what data structure is
best for your application. Data structrue questions also come up A LOT in interview questions. In my opinion, one of the best books to learn and
understand data structures is Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, and Stein. Another alternative
book is Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java by Mark A. Weiss.
Other Works
Cited
Cormen, Thomas H. Introduction
to Algorithms. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2009. Print.
Quora.
"How Do I Strengthen My Knowledge Of Data Structures And Algorithms?" Forbes.
Forbes Magazine, 03 July 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/07/03/how-do-i-strengthen-my-knowledge-of-data-structures-and-algorithms/>.
Rouse,
Margaret. "Data Structure." SearchSQLServer. N.p., Feb.
2006. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.
<http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/data-structure>.
Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog! I like the overall presentation and flow of your post. it is very conversational and informative. Your descriptions about Arrays, linked Lists, and Hash Tables are brief and appropriate. I like the ending where you talk about the importance of Data Structure in interview questions. Also, the books you mentioned further strengthen your blog!
Good job and happy blogging!
- Tushar
Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteThanks for not making your blog read like an essay. Since I procrastinated commenting and have to do all ten today, it was nice reading something that wasn't boring.
Your post is really clearly structured and doesn't feel like you're reaching for connections. Including the advantages and disadvantages was super useful, since those differences are what influence someone to choose one data structure over another
Great blog post introducing the reader to Data Structures! I like how you go across the point of the different ways to measure efficiency. One thing that would be helpful in your blog post would be a link to some other source of information so that the reader can go and expand from what they have read in your blog. Keep it up!
ReplyDelete