Computer science foundations · 10 minutes
Choosing a data structure
Compare an array and a singly linked list. Explain access, memory layout and a realistic insertion tradeoff without claiming one is always better.
Study · reference notes
Explain array access
An array stores elements contiguously. With fixed-size elements and a known index, direct indexing can locate an element in constant time.
Explain linked traversal
A singly linked list stores nodes connected by next references. Finding the kth node usually requires walking through earlier nodes; nodes need not be contiguous.
Qualify insertion cost
Inserting after a known node can change a small number of references. Finding that node may still take linear time. Arrays and linked lists have different memory and access tradeoffs.
Independent lesson notes · independent tutor review pending
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