Data Structures

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Why it matters

Data Structures is the foundation of computer science. Every Google search, every Facebook feed, every Uber route — they all run on the concepts you'll learn here. Master this, and you unlock the ability to solve real-world problems efficiently.

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Placement relevance

90% of FAANG interviews ask DS questions. Amazon asks trees/graphs. Google loves hashmaps. Microsoft tests linked lists. This subject directly translates to ₹15-30 LPA offers. LeetCode top 150 problems are all from this syllabus.

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Prerequisites for

Algorithms · Operating Systems · DBMS · Compiler Design · Machine Learning · System Design · Competitive Programming

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Recommended books

Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, Stein (CLRS) · Data Structures and Algorithms Made Easy by Narasimha Karumanchi · Data Structures Using C by Reema Thareja · Fundamentals of Data Structures by Horowitz and Sahni

Implement an AVL tree with insertion and rotation operations. Show step-by-step insertion of elements {10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 25} and perform necessary rotations to maintain balance.

Write a C program to reverse a linked list using iterative and recursive approaches. Analyze the time and space complexity of both methods.

Implement Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm using an adjacency matrix representation. Find the shortest path from source vertex A to all other vertices in a weighted graph.

Implement a Queue using two Stacks. Write functions for enqueue and dequeue operations. What is the time complexity of each operation?

Explain the Master Theorem for solving recurrence relations. Apply it to solve: T(n) = 4T(n/2) + n²

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Master the Big 3

Trees, Graphs, and Linked Lists appear in EVERY exam. Practice at least 20 problems each. Can you reverse a linked list in your sleep? Can you do BFS/DFS with eyes closed? That's your target.

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Draw before you code

Always draw the data structure first. For trees, draw nodes. For linked lists, draw arrows. Examiners give partial marks for correct diagrams even if code has bugs. Visual thinking prevents logic errors.

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Time complexity is 40% weightage

Every question asks 'Analyze complexity'. Memorize: Arrays O(1) access, LinkedList O(n) search, BST O(log n) average, Graphs O(V+E) for traversal. Write Big O notation for every function you write.

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Code by hand, not IDE

Exams are pen-paper. Practice writing code on paper without syntax highlighting or autocomplete. Common mistakes: forgetting NULL checks, off-by-one errors in loops, wrong pointer assignments.

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Recursion + Base Case

Tree problems = recursion. Always write base case first (if root == NULL). Then write recursive case. Practice: preorder, inorder, postorder, height calculation, mirror tree.