Searching Algorithms Questions Medium
A trie, also known as a prefix tree, is a tree-like data structure that is primarily used for efficient retrieval of strings or words. It is particularly useful for searching and storing large collections of strings, such as dictionaries or word lists.
In a trie, each node represents a single character, and the edges connecting the nodes represent the possible characters that can follow the current character. The root node represents an empty string, and as we traverse down the trie, each path from the root to a leaf node represents a complete word.
One of the key advantages of a trie is its ability to perform prefix matching efficiently. By traversing down the trie, we can quickly find all the words that have a given prefix. This makes tries ideal for autocomplete functionality or searching for words that share a common prefix.
Tries can be implemented using various data structures, such as arrays or linked lists. Each node typically contains a boolean flag to indicate whether it represents the end of a word, and additional data can be stored in the nodes if needed.
Overall, tries provide an efficient and compact way to store and search for strings, making them a valuable data structure for applications that involve extensive string manipulation and retrieval.