Dateistruktur

Dateistruktur (data structure) is a way to organize and store data in a computer so that operations such as access, insertion, deletion, and traversal can be performed efficiently. In computing, a data structure is often defined as an abstract data type together with a concrete implementation. Abstract data types specify the operations allowed on the data, while a data structure provides the actual representation and algorithms.

Data structures are categorized as linear (sequential) and non-linear. Linear structures include arrays, linked lists, stacks, and queues. Non-linear structures include trees and graphs. Arrays offer indexed, random access with a fixed size; dynamic arrays can grow but may require resizing. Linked lists support efficient insertion and deletion with sequential access. Stacks and queues enforce specific orderings: last-in-first-out and first-in-first-out, respectively. Trees provide hierarchical organization; binary search trees enable ordered data and logarithmic search, while more advanced trees (AVL, red-black, B-trees) balance performance. Graphs model pairwise relations and support traversal and path-finding algorithms. Hash tables offer near-constant-time average lookups.

Key metrics include time complexity for common operations and space overhead. Cache locality and memory layout influence real-world performance. Choosing a data structure depends on usage patterns, such as the need for fast lookup, frequent insertions, or ordered traversal.

Applications span databases (index structures like B-trees and hash indexes), compilers (symbol tables), networks (routing and social graphs), and general software engineering. Understanding dateistrukturen aids in designing efficient algorithms and scalable systems.