Linked List – Concepts and Implementation
📘 Data Structure and Algorithm
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📅 Nov 05, 2025
⏱ Estimated reading time: 2 min
Linked List – Concepts and Implementation
A linked list is a linear data structure where elements are stored in nodes. Each node contains data and a pointer (or reference) to the next node in the sequence.
Structure of a Node
struct Node {
int data;
Node* next;
};
Types of Linked Lists
- Singly Linked List: Each node points to the next node only.
- Doubly Linked List: Each node points to both the next and previous nodes.
- Circular Linked List: The last node points back to the first node.
Basic Operations
- Insertion – Add a node at the beginning, end, or specific position.
- Deletion – Remove a node from the list.
- Traversal – Visit each node to access or display data.
- Search – Find a node containing a specific value.
Example (C++)
Node* head = NULL; head = new Node(); head->data = 10; head->next = new Node(); head->next->data = 20; head->next->next = NULL;
Advantages
- Dynamic size – no need to define array size.
- Efficient insertions and deletions at any position.
Disadvantages
- Extra memory for pointers.
- Sequential access – cannot use direct indexing.
Applications
- Implementation of stacks, queues, and graphs.
- Used in dynamic memory management systems.
Conclusion
Linked lists are flexible and memory-efficient for applications requiring frequent insertions and deletions, though they trade off fast random access.
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