What are the different types of data structures?

There are several different types of data structures, each with its own characteristics and uses. Some of the commonly used data structures include:

1. Arrays: Arrays are a collection of elements of the same data type, stored in contiguous memory locations. They provide efficient random access to elements but have a fixed size.

2. Linked Lists: Linked lists are a sequence of nodes, where each node contains data and a reference to the next node. They allow dynamic memory allocation and efficient insertion/deletion at any position but have slower access time compared to arrays.

3. Stacks: Stacks are a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) data structure, where elements are added and removed from the same end. They are commonly used in function calls, expression evaluation, and backtracking algorithms.

4. Queues: Queues are a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) data structure, where elements are added at one end and removed from the other end. They are used in scheduling, resource allocation, and breadth-first search algorithms.

5. Trees: Trees are hierarchical data structures consisting of nodes connected by edges. They have a root node and can have child nodes, forming a parent-child relationship. Trees are used in file systems, decision-making algorithms, and hierarchical data representation.

6. Graphs: Graphs are a collection of nodes (vertices) connected by edges. They can be directed or undirected and are used to represent relationships between objects, network connections, and social networks.

7. Hash Tables: Hash tables use a hash function to map keys to array indices, allowing efficient insertion, deletion, and retrieval of data. They are used in databases, caches, and symbol tables.

8. Heaps: Heaps are complete binary trees that satisfy the heap property, where each parent node has a value greater (or smaller) than its children. They are used in priority queues, sorting algorithms, and graph algorithms.

These are just a few examples of data structures, and there are many more variations and combinations available depending on specific requirements and problem domains.