data-structures Linked List Introduction to Linked Lists
Example
A linked list is a linear collection of data elements, called nodes, which are linked to other node(s) by means of a "pointer." Below is a singly linked list with a head reference.
┌─────────┬─────────┐ ┌─────────┬─────────┐
HEAD ──▶│ data │"pointer"│──▶│ data │"pointer"│──▶ null
└─────────┴─────────┘ └─────────┴─────────┘
There are many types of linked lists, including singly and doubly linked lists and circular linked lists.
Advantages
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Linked lists are a dynamic data structure, which can grow and shrink, allocating and deallocating memory while the program is running.
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Node insertion and deletion operations are easily implemented in a linked list.
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Linear data structures such as stacks and queues are easily implemented with a linked list.
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Linked lists can reduce access time and may expand in real time without memory overhead.
