Differences between singly and doubly linked lists

Preview

Singly Linked List: Each node in a singly linked list contains two parts: a data field and a next pointer. The next pointer points to the next node in the sequence. The last node's next pointer is typically set to null to indicate the end of the list.
```
Copy Code
struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* next;
};
```

Preview

Doubly Linked List: Each node in a doubly linked list contains three parts: a data field, a previous pointer, and a next pointer. The previous pointer points to the previous node, and the next pointer points to the next node. The first node's previous pointer is set to null, and the last node's next pointer is set to null.
```
Copy Code
struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* prev;
    struct Node* next;
};
```

Singly Linked List:
- Insertion: Adding a new node at the head, tail, or middle of the list. Insertion at the head is O(1), while insertion at the tail or middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Deletion: Removing a node from the head, tail, or middle of the list. Deletion at the head is O(1), while deletion at the tail or middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Traversal: Only forward traversal is possible, starting from the head and moving towards the tail.
- Search: Searching for a specific node requires traversing the list from the head to the tail, making it O(n).

Preview

Doubly Linked List:
- Insertion: Adding a new node at the head, tail, or middle of the list. Insertion at the head or tail is O(1), while insertion in the middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Deletion: Removing a node from the head, tail, or middle of the list. Deletion at the head or tail is O(1), while deletion in the middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Traversal: Both forward and backward traversal are possible, starting from any node and moving towards either the head or the tail.
- Search: Searching for a specific node can be done in both directions, making it more flexible but still O(n) in terms of time complexity.

Preview

Singly Linked List:
- Simple Data Structures: Used in simple data structures where only forward traversal is needed.
- Stacks and Queues: Can be used to implement stacks and queues efficiently.
- Graph Traversal: Used in breadth-first search (BFS) algorithms where forward traversal is sufficient.
Doubly Linked List:
- Browser History: Used in web browsers to implement back and forward navigation buttons.
- Text Editors: Used in text editors for efficient insertion, deletion, and navigation of text.
- Music Player Playlists: Used in music players to manage playlists, allowing users to navigate through songs in both directions.
- Undo/Redo Functionality: Used in applications to implement undo and redo functionalities.
- LRU/MRU Cache: Used in constructing Least Recently Used (LRU) and Most Recently Used (MRU) caches for efficient memory management.

Preview

Singly Linked List: Each node in a singly linked list contains two parts: a data field and a next pointer. The next pointer points to the next node in the sequence. The last node's next pointer is typically set to null to indicate the end of the list.
```
Copy Code
struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* next;
};
```

Preview

Doubly Linked List: Each node in a doubly linked list contains three parts: a data field, a previous pointer, and a next pointer. The previous pointer points to the previous node, and the next pointer points to the next node. The first node's previous pointer is set to null, and the last node's next pointer is set to null.
```
Copy Code
struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* prev;
    struct Node* next;
};
```

Singly Linked List:
- Insertion: Adding a new node at the head, tail, or middle of the list. Insertion at the head is O(1), while insertion at the tail or middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Deletion: Removing a node from the head, tail, or middle of the list. Deletion at the head is O(1), while deletion at the tail or middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Traversal: Only forward traversal is possible, starting from the head and moving towards the tail.
- Search: Searching for a specific node requires traversing the list from the head to the tail, making it O(n).

Preview

Doubly Linked List:
- Insertion: Adding a new node at the head, tail, or middle of the list. Insertion at the head or tail is O(1), while insertion in the middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Deletion: Removing a node from the head, tail, or middle of the list. Deletion at the head or tail is O(1), while deletion in the middle requires traversal, making it O(n).
- Traversal: Both forward and backward traversal are possible, starting from any node and moving towards either the head or the tail.
- Search: Searching for a specific node can be done in both directions, making it more flexible but still O(n) in terms of time complexity.

Preview

Singly Linked List:
- Simple Data Structures: Used in simple data structures where only forward traversal is needed.
- Stacks and Queues: Can be used to implement stacks and queues efficiently.
- Graph Traversal: Used in breadth-first search (BFS) algorithms where forward traversal is sufficient.
Doubly Linked List:
- Browser History: Used in web browsers to implement back and forward navigation buttons.
- Text Editors: Used in text editors for efficient insertion, deletion, and navigation of text.
- Music Player Playlists: Used in music players to manage playlists, allowing users to navigate through songs in both directions.
- Undo/Redo Functionality: Used in applications to implement undo and redo functionalities.
- LRU/MRU Cache: Used in constructing Least Recently Used (LRU) and Most Recently Used (MRU) caches for efficient memory management.