Chapter 17: Problem 11

What is a singly linked list? What is a doubly linked list? What is a circularly linked list?

Short Answer

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Short Answer: Singly linked lists, doubly linked lists, and circularly linked lists are three types of linked lists. Singly linked lists are linear structures with each node containing data and a reference to the next node; they can only be traversed in one direction. Doubly linked lists have nodes containing data, a reference to the previous node, and a reference to the next node; they allow bi-directional traversal but require more memory. Circularly linked lists have the last node refer back to the head, creating a circular structure with no designated start or end points; they can be singly or doubly linked.

Step by step solution

Definition of Singly Linked List

A singly linked list is a linear data structure in which each element (also called a node) contains two parts: the data and a reference (or link) to the next node in the sequence. The first node is known as the "head" of the list, while the last node's reference points to null, indicating the end of the list.

Definition of Doubly Linked List

A doubly linked list is a more complex type of linked list. In this data structure, each node contains three parts: the data, a reference to the previous node in the sequence, and a reference to the next node in the sequence. This additional reference to the previous node allows for easier traversal in both directions, compared to the singly linked list. Similar to the singly linked list, the first node, known as the "head" of the list, has a reference to null as its previous node, and the last node's next reference points to null, indicating the end of the list.

Definition of Circularly Linked List

A circularly linked list is a variation of the linked list where the last node in the list has a reference to the first node (head) instead of the null value. This creates a circular structure, with no designated starting or ending point. Circularly linked lists can be either singly or doubly linked, depending on whether each node has only a reference to the next node (circular singly linked list) or has both next and previous node references (circular doubly linked list).

Comparing the Three Types of Linked Lists

Singly, doubly, and circularly linked lists serve different purposes based on their unique characteristics. 1. Singly linked lists are simpler, requiring less memory overhead, but can only be traversed in one direction. 2. Doubly linked lists allow for bi-directional traversal, making it easier to manipulate nodes within the list, but require more memory due to the extra reference in each node. 3. Circularly linked lists have no designated start or end points, making them suitable for certain applications such as modeling a cycle but can be slightly more complex to manage due to the lack of a null value at the end of the list.

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What is a singly linked list? What is a doubly linked list? What is a circularly linked list?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Definition of Singly Linked List

Definition of Doubly Linked List

Definition of Circularly Linked List

Comparing the Three Types of Linked Lists

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