Linked Lists vs. Lists
Explore the differences between linked lists and Python lists by understanding their memory layouts and operation efficiencies. Learn how insertion, deletion, and access times vary and why each structure is suited for different tasks in coding interviews and programming.
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The main difference between lists and linked lists is in the way elements are inserted and deleted. As for linked lists, insertion and deletion at the head happen in a constant amount of time, whereas at tail, it takes O(n) time. In the case of lists, it takes O(n) time to insert or delete a value. This is because of the different memory layouts of both the data structures. Lists are arranged contiguously in the memory, while nodes of a linked list may be dispersed in the memory. This ...