What is the difference between an array and a linked list in Python?

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Jayant Kumar · Accepted Answer

In Python, arrays and linked lists are both data structures used to store and manage collections of elements. However, they have some key differences in terms of their underlying implementation and performance characteristics:
Memory Allocation:

Arrays: Arrays in Python are contiguous blocks of memory where elements are stored in a fixed-size format. Arrays provide direct access to elements using their indices. The size of an array is determined at the time of declaration and cannot be changed easily.
Linked Lists: Linked lists in Python consist of individual nodes where each node contains data and a reference to the next node. The nodes can be scattered across memory as they are dynamically allocated. Linked lists do not offer direct access to elements using indices.

Dynamic Size:

Arrays: In Python, arrays have a fixed size once they are created. If you need to change the size of an array, you would typically need to create a new array with the desired size and copy the elements from the old array to the new one.
Linked Lists: Linked lists are dynamic in nature and can easily grow or shrink in size. Nodes can be added or removed without the need for contiguous memory. This flexibility makes linked lists well-suited for scenarios where the size of the collection changes frequently.

Insertion and Deletion:

Arrays: Inserting or deleting an element in an array requires shifting the elements to accommodate the change. In the worst case, this can result in a time complexity of O(n), where n is the number of elements in the array.
Linked Lists: Inserting or deleting an element in a linked list involves updating the references of the affected nodes. This operation can be done in constant time O(1) if we have a reference to the insertion or deletion point. However, searching for a specific position in the linked list might require traversing through the nodes, resulting in a time complexity of O(n) in the worst case.

Random Access:

Arrays: Arrays provide efficient random access to elements based on their indices. Accessing an element by index has a time complexity of O(1).
Linked Lists: Linked lists do not support direct random access based on indices. To access an element, you would need to traverse the list from the beginning until the desired position. Therefore, the time complexity for accessing an element by index is O(n) in the worst case.

In summary, arrays offer direct random access to elements, but their size is fixed once allocated. Linked lists, on the other hand, provide dynamic size and efficient insertion/deletion at the cost of slower random access. The choice between arrays and linked lists depends on the specific requirements of your program, such as the need for dynamic resizing, frequent insertions or deletions, or efficient random access.

What is the difference between an array and a linked list in Python?

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What is the difference between an array and a linked list in Python?

Jayant Kumar @jayantkumar314

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