A linked list is a linear data structure, in which the elements are not stored at contiguous memory locations. The elements in a linked list are linked using pointers as shown in the below image:
Applications of Linked Lists in Computer Science
- Data Structures: Implement stacks, queues, and adjacency lists in graphs.
- Memory Management: Dynamic memory allocation using free blocks.
- File & Directory Management: Maintain directories, symbol tables, and sparse matrices.
- Mathematical Operations: Long integer arithmetic, polynomial manipulation.
- Image & Signal Processing: Represent images, pixels, or signals.
- Operating Systems: Task scheduling, process management.
- Compilers: Symbol table management.
Real-World Applications
- Image viewer, web browser, music player: Navigate previous/next items.
- GPS & Robotics: Manage routes and robot control systems.
- Undo/Redo functionality: Represent actions in applications.
- File systems & simulations: Store hierarchical directories or system states.
- Speech recognition & polynomial representation: Each node represents an element.
Circular Linked Lists
- Efficient queues and cyclic operations (e.g., OS task scheduling).
- Used in databases, networking buffers, video/audio streaming, and games.
- Traffic light control systems: Cycle through phases repeatedly.
Doubly Linked Lists
- Undo/Redo, back/forward buttons in browsers.
- Most recently used (MRU) lists.
- Game objects, networking, graph algorithms.
- OS process scheduling (traverse forward/backward efficiently).
