Arrays Linked Lists Questions Medium
The main difference between a static array and a dynamic array lies in their implementation and behavior.
Static Array:
- A static array has a fixed size, which is determined at compile-time and cannot be changed during runtime.
- Memory for a static array is allocated on the stack.
- The size of a static array needs to be known in advance, and it cannot be resized.
- Static arrays are typically used when the number of elements is known and fixed.
Dynamic Array:
- A dynamic array, also known as a resizable array or a dynamic array list, has a flexible size that can be changed during runtime.
- Memory for a dynamic array is allocated on the heap.
- The size of a dynamic array can be increased or decreased as needed.
- Dynamic arrays are typically used when the number of elements is unknown or may change over time.
In terms of implementation, static arrays are usually implemented as a contiguous block of memory, where elements are stored sequentially. Accessing elements in a static array is done through indexing, and the time complexity for accessing an element is O(1).
Dynamic arrays, on the other hand, are typically implemented using a combination of a static array and additional logic to handle resizing. When a dynamic array is full and needs to be resized, a new larger block of memory is allocated, and the elements from the old array are copied to the new array. This resizing operation can be costly in terms of time complexity, as it requires allocating new memory and copying elements. However, accessing elements in a dynamic array is still done through indexing, and the time complexity for accessing an element is also O(1).
Overall, the key difference between static and dynamic arrays is their flexibility in terms of size and the ability to resize dynamically during runtime.