Singly Linked List
Understand linked list structure, implement core operations, and analyze time/space complexity.
Understand linked list structure, implement core operations, and analyze time/space complexity. This hands-on tutorial focuses on practical implementation of singly linked list concepts.
Singly Linked List
A linked list is a linear data structure where elements are stored in nodes, each pointing to the next node.
Structure
class Node:
def __init__(self, data):
self.data = data
self.next = None
class LinkedList:
def __init__(self):
self.head = None
Advantages:
- Dynamic size
- Efficient insertion/deletion at beginning: O(1)
Disadvantages:
- No random access (must traverse from head)
- Extra memory for pointers
Time Complexity
| Operation | Singly Linked List | Array |
|---|---|---|
| Access | O(n) | O(1) |
| Search | O(n) | O(n) |
| Insert (beginning) | O(1) | O(n) |
| Insert (end) | O(n) | O(1) amortized |
| Delete (beginning) | O(1) | O(n) |
| Delete (middle) | O(n) | O(n) |
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Quiz
Quiz
Question 1 of 1What is the time complexity of accessing the 5th element in a linked list?
Key Takeaways
✅ Dynamic size - no fixed capacity
✅ O(1) insertion/deletion at beginning
✅ O(n) access - no random access
✅ Extra memory for pointers
Essential for dynamic data where size changes frequently! 🚀