Linked List
A data structure where elements are stored in nodes, each pointing to the next.
Also: singly linked list · doubly linked list
Definition
A linked list is a linear data structure consisting of nodes where each node contains data and a pointer (reference) to the next node. Unlike arrays, linked lists do not require contiguous memory allocation, enabling efficient insertions and deletions at any position (O(1) if position is known) without shifting elements. However, random access is O(n) since traversal starts from the head. Variants include doubly linked lists (with next and previous pointers) and circular linked lists.
Example
“A music player's playlist is implemented as a doubly linked list, allowing efficient insertion of songs at any position and bidirectional traversal for previous and next functionality.”
Synonyms
- node chain
- pointer list
- sequential linked structure
Antonyms / Opposites
- array
- random-access structure
Images
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Related Terms
- data-structure
- algorithm
- big-o-notation
- queue-data