Data Structures & Algorithms
Arrays and Dynamic Arrays
20 min•text
Theory & Concepts
Arrays and Dynamic Arrays
Arrays are fundamental data structures that store elements in contiguous memory locations.
Key Concepts
1. Static Arrays
- Fixed size determined at creation
- Elements stored in contiguous memory
- Constant time access by index: O(1)
- Cannot resize after creation
2. Dynamic Arrays
- Can grow and shrink during runtime
- Automatically resize when needed
- Python lists are dynamic arrays
- Amortized O(1) append operation
Operations and Complexity
| Operation | Static Array | Dynamic Array |
|---|---|---|
| Access | O(1) | O(1) |
| Search | O(n) | O(n) |
| Insert | N/A | O(n) |
| Delete | N/A | O(n) |
| Append | N/A | O(1)* |
*Amortized time complexity
Use Cases
- Static Arrays: When size is known and fixed
- Dynamic Arrays: When size varies during execution
- Lists in Python: General-purpose data storage
Lesson Content
Learn about arrays and dynamic arrays - fundamental data structures for storing collections of elements.
Code Example48 lines
Section 1 of 1 • Lesson 1 of 1