Essential Data Structures for Coding Interviews

0:00 Intro

Seven essential data structures are introduced, aimed at helping viewers prepare for coding interviews, computer science classes, or project development. The structures are explained from easiest to hardest, making it easier for beginners to follow along. Time complexity information is provided for those interested.

0:40 Arrays

Arrays are collections of ordered data, typically of the same type. They are easy to access using indices but can be inefficient for inserting or deleting elements. Arrays are stored contiguously in memory, making retrieval fast but shifting elements during insertion or deletion can be cumbersome.

2:44 Linked Lists

Linked lists offer fast insertion and deletion but are slower for accessing elements. Each element contains a pointer to the next, allowing for non-contiguous storage. This structure solves some limitations of arrays, but finding elements requires traversing the list sequentially.

4:29 HashMaps

Hash maps store data as key-value pairs, allowing custom indexing. They are unordered and provide quick search, insertion, and deletion operations. Known as hash tables or dictionaries in some languages, they optimize data retrieval based on user-defined keys.

6:00 Stacks

Stacks operate on a Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle, akin to a stack of plates. Common operations include push (adding an element), pop (removing the top element), and peek (viewing the top element). They are efficient for scenarios requiring this order of access.

7:06 Queues

Queues function on a First In, First Out (FIFO) basis, similar to a line at a store. Operations include enqueue (adding an element at the back), dequeue (removing the front element), and front (viewing the front element). They are commonly used in real-world programming situations.

8:10 Trees

Trees consist of nodes connected by edges, with binary trees allowing each node to have up to two children. Binary search trees help efficiently search through ordered values by eliminating large sections of the tree with each guess.

10:28 Graphs

Graphs represent complex connections among nodes and can be directed or undirected. They can model relationships with weighted edges and cycles. Understanding graphs is crucial due to their widespread applications, like optimizing routes in delivery services.