A double-ended queue (deque) is a data structure that allows insertion and deletion at both ends. It includes operations such as insertFront(), deleteFront(), insertRear(), and deleteRear(). Deques can be implemented using arrays or linked lists and are versatile in serving various abstract data types.
A double-ended queue, often abbreviated to deque, is a data structure that supports insertion and deletion operations at both ends, namely the front and the rear. This flexibility makes it a hybrid linear structure that acts as both a queue and a stack. The standard operations of a deque include:
- insertFront(): Adds an element to the front.
- deleteFront(): Removes and returns the element from the front.
- insertRear(): Adds an element to the rear.
- deleteRear(): Removes and returns the element from the rear.
- isEmpty(): Checks whether the deque is empty.
- isFull(): Checks whether the deque is full (particularly for a fixed-size deque).
Deques can be implemented using arrays or linked lists. In the array implementation, pointers or indices for the front and the rear manage the ends of the structure, while a linked list implementation would have nodes pointing to the next and previous elements. The choice of implementation depends on the complexity and performance requirements of the operations needed.
So, a deque provides a versatile option for data storage and manipulation, capable of serving various abstract data types and algorithms efficiently.