Linked List: A summary

What is a Linked List?

A linked list is a way of storing data in a sequence. It's like a chain where each link points to the next one. Each link contains two parts: the data and a reference to the following link. Unlike an array, linked lists don't need to be stored in contiguous memory locations. This makes it easier to insert or delete elements from the list.

Compared to doubly linked lists, singly linked lists are easier to use and take up less memory. Still, they can only be traversed in one direction, and insertion/deletion operations are more challenging. This node has data and a link to the node after it. The reference of the final node is set to null to denote the conclusion of the list.

A doubly linked list, on the other hand, is a kind of linked list where each node contains three components: the data, a reference to the next node, and a reference to the prior node. As a result, you can move through the list both ways, from head to tail and vice versa. Regarding searching and insertion/deletion operations, doubly-linked lists are more effective than singly-linked lists but require more memory. It has information and references to the nodes before and after it. Both ways of traversal are possible.

There are several operations that can be performed on linked lists, including insertion, deletion, and searching.

The process of inserting a new element into a linked list is called insertion. There are three different placements for insertions: at the start, end, and center. Simply build a new node and set its next pointer to the list's current head position to add an entry at the beginning. By moving through the list until you come to the last node, you can insert an element at the end by setting the last node's next pointer to the new node. By moving through the list until you find the node preceding the one you wish to insert, you can then set its next pointer to the desired node.

The act of deleting an element from a linked list is called deletion. There are three different deletion styles: beginning, ending, and particular positional deletions. Simply set the list's head to the element's subsequent node to remove an element from the beginning. By moving down the list until you find the next-to-last node and setting its next pointer to NULL, you can remove an element from the end. By moving through the list until you find the node before the location you wish to delete an element from, you can set the element's next pointer to skip over that node.

Finding a specific element in the linked list involves searching. Simply move through the list until you locate a node whose data corresponds to your search criteria.

Traversing a linked list means visiting each node in the list to perform some operation. This can be done by following the references from one node to the next until the end of the list is reached. Common operations during traversal include printing the data, performing calculations, or modifying the nodes. For example, if you want to print all the elements in a linked list, you would start at the head of the list and follow the references to each subsequent node until you reach the end of the list. Once you reach the end of the list, you can stop traversing. Similarly, if you want to modify a specific element in a linked list, you would traverse the list until you find the element you want to modify and then make your changes.

A few applications for circular linked lists include:
A circular linked list can be used to implement a queue, with the first and last nodes of the list serving as the front and back of the queue, respectively.
Music or Media Player: A playlist for a music or media player can be made using circular linked lists.
Implementing a hash table can be done by using circular linked lists, where each index in the table is a circular linked list.
Circular linked lists can be used to keep track of allocated and free memory blocks in computer memory management.

Linked lists provide a flexible and efficient way to store and organize data elements dynamically. With their ability to grow and shrink as elements are inserted or deleted, linked lists are valuable tools for solving various programming problems. By understanding the concepts of linked lists, their types, operations, traversing and manipulation, implementation, and use cases, you can leverage this powerful data structure to build efficient and scalable programs.

A video that explain linked list:

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