Understanding Single Linked Lists

What is a single linked list?

• A single linked list is a linear data structure where each element points to the next, forming a chain.

• A single linked list is a type of tree structure.

• A single linked list is a circular data structure where elements do not point to the next.

• A single linked list is a collection of unordered elements.

Explain the structure of a node in a linked list.

• A node in a linked list contains a data field and a pointer to the next node.

• A node in a linked list contains only a data field.

• A node in a linked list is a fixed-size structure without pointers.

• A node in a linked list has multiple pointers to different nodes.

Describe the process of inserting a node at the beginning of a linked list.

• Insert a new node at the beginning by updating the head to the new node and linking it to the previous head.

• Remove the last node and add a new node in its place.

• Create a new list and copy all nodes from the old list.

• Insert a new node at the end of the list and update the tail.

What are the steps to insert a node at the end of a linked list?

• Insert a new node at the end of the linked list by traversing to the last node and updating its next pointer.

• Insert a new node in the middle of the linked list.

• Delete the last node and insert a new one in its place.

• Insert a new node at the beginning of the linked list.

How do you delete a node from a linked list?

• Copy the next node's value to the current node and delete the next node.

• Add the node to the end of the list instead of deleting it.

• Remove the node by setting its value to null.

• Update the previous node's next pointer to skip the node to be deleted.

What is the time complexity of deleting a node in a linked list?

• O(n) if searching is required, O(1) if the node is known.

• O(1) for all cases

• O(log n) if the list is sorted

• O(n) for all cases

Explain how to traverse a linked list.

• Traverse the list by jumping two nodes at a time.

• Start at the head, process each node, and move to the next until the end.

• Only process the first node and ignore the rest.

• Start at the tail and process each node in reverse order.

What are some common applications of linked lists?

• Implementing binary trees

• Creating hash tables

• Sorting algorithms

• Common applications of linked lists include implementing stacks, queues, adjacency lists for graphs, and dynamic memory management.

How do linked lists compare to arrays in terms of memory usage?

• Arrays require more memory than linked lists regardless of size.

• Linked lists generally use more memory due to pointer overhead, while arrays may waste space if not fully utilized.

• Linked lists are always more efficient than arrays in memory usage.

• Linked lists do not use any additional memory for pointers.

What are the advantages of using linked lists over arrays?

• Advantages of linked lists over arrays include dynamic size, efficient insertions and deletions, and better memory management.

• Higher memory overhead for storage

• Fixed size allocation

• Slower access times for elements