Arrays Linked Lists Questions Medium
In terms of memory allocation, the main difference between an array and a linked list lies in their data structure and how they store elements.
An array is a contiguous block of memory that stores a fixed number of elements of the same data type. When an array is created, a specific amount of memory is allocated to hold all the elements. The memory allocation for an array is done at compile-time, meaning that the size of the array needs to be known in advance. This fixed size allocation can lead to memory wastage if the array is not fully utilized or if it needs to be resized.
On the other hand, a linked list is a dynamic data structure where each element, known as a node, contains both the data and a reference (or pointer) to the next node in the list. Unlike an array, a linked list does not require a contiguous block of memory. Instead, each node can be allocated independently in different memory locations. This dynamic memory allocation allows for efficient memory usage as nodes can be added or removed from the list without the need for resizing or wasting memory.
In summary, the main difference in terms of memory allocation between an array and a linked list is that an array requires a fixed amount of memory allocated at compile-time, while a linked list allows for dynamic memory allocation and efficient usage.