Difference between revisions of "Linked list"

Revision as of 05:09, February 29, 2012

IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A '''linked list''' is a linear [[data structure]] that is composed of similar elements, all of which are typically related in some way; hence the term ''linked'' list. Traditional linked lists, in which the elements are all linked in some way, should be distinguished from [[Lisp]]'s non-linked "lists", which can contain heterogeneous data.
+IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY
+IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY
-In [[imperative]] [[programming language]]s, it is common to keep data in [[record]]s, thus:
+IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY
+IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY
-<code>
+IF THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY
- record Employee
-    string[255] name;
-    integer age;
- endrecord
-</code>
-The programmer can make a collection of records by adding a [[pointer]] field to each record, thus:
-<code>
- record EmployeeL
-    string[255] name;
-    integer age;
-    EmployeeL ^l;  (* "l" for "link" *)
- endrecord
-</code>
-Such a record collection is the canonical example of a linked list. In this example, since all of the records are singles, we term it a '''singly linked list'''. We can make the list more robust by adding a "Prev" field, pointing to the element before the current one, thus:
-<code>
- record EmployeeLP
-    string[255] name;
-    integer age;
-    EmployeeL ^l;  (* "l" for "link" *)
-    EmployeeL ^p;  (* "p" for "prevlink" *)
- endrecord
-</code>
-This collection of L/P records is a '''doubly linked list'''.
-==Applications==
-Linked lists are applicable in several ways. The first, most obvious application is data storage. For example, whether you have a large amount of decoded [[DNA|genetic material]], or merely a set of [[dentist|dental]] [[X-ray]]s, you will eventually need to store that data in a [[computer]], and one possible way of doing that is to put it in a linked list.
-A second, less obvious application is to the construction of fast [[sorting]] [[algorithm]]s. Suppose you have a set of homogeneous records in memory, and need to put them in order. The problem can be restated as "Produce a [[total ordering]] over this set of records." Since each pair of elements in a non-cyclic linked list has exactly one predecessor and one successor, all you need to do to produce a total order over the set is to assign its members into a linked list, which can be done in [[line]]ar time (O(n)). This is one of the fastest sorting algorithms known today, outstripped only by the [[hash table]] approach.
-==See also==
-*[[Data structure]]
-*[[Array]]
-*[[List]]
-*[[Binary tree]]
-[[Category:Data structures]]

Difference between revisions of "Linked list"

Revision as of 05:09, February 29, 2012

Navigation menu

Search