Computational Theory Questions Medium
In computational theory, there are several main array-based data structures that are commonly used. These include:
1. Static Array: A static array is a fixed-size data structure that stores elements of the same type in contiguous memory locations. It provides constant-time access to elements using their indices, but its size cannot be changed once it is created.
2. Dynamic Array: A dynamic array, also known as a resizable array or ArrayList, is a data structure that can dynamically resize itself to accommodate a varying number of elements. It is implemented by internally using a static array and reallocating memory when needed. Dynamic arrays provide constant-time access to elements using their indices, and they also support efficient insertion and deletion operations.
3. Matrix: A matrix is a two-dimensional array that stores elements in rows and columns. It is often used to represent grids, tables, or other structured data. Matrices can be implemented using static or dynamic arrays, and they are commonly used in various computational algorithms, such as graph algorithms and linear algebra operations.
4. Jagged Array: A jagged array, also known as an array of arrays, is an array in which each element can be another array of different sizes. It allows for more flexibility in representing irregular or non-rectangular data structures. Jagged arrays can be implemented using dynamic arrays, where each element is a separate dynamic array.
5. Sparse Array: A sparse array is a data structure used to efficiently represent arrays with a large number of default or empty values. Instead of storing all elements, it only stores the non-default values along with their indices. This can significantly reduce memory usage and improve performance for certain applications.
These array-based data structures are fundamental in computational theory and are widely used in various algorithms and applications to efficiently store and manipulate data.