What are Data Structures?

Organize Data · Choose Wisely

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How the way you organize data determines how fast a computer can find, add, or remove it — and how to pick the right structure for the job.

By the end, you can

Define "data structure" and explain why it differs from a plain primitive value.
Explain why the choice of data structure directly affects performance with a concrete example.
Classify array, linked list, stack, queue, tree, and graph as linear or non-linear.
State the LIFO rule for stacks and the FIFO rule for queues, and name a real-world use case for each.
Describe the array vs. linked list trade-off: O(1) index access vs. O(1) front insertion.
Distinguish a tree (hierarchy) from a graph (arbitrary network) and give a real-world example of each.
Explain the difference between an Abstract Data Type and a data structure implementation.
Apply the choosing framework to select an appropriate data structure given a described use case.

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