Question

comparing linked lists to arrays to hold sorted data, both will have o(n) insert and delete, but can you expect one to run faster than the other? why or why not?

Answer 1

Linked lists and arrays can have different performance characteristics for sorted data, depending on the specific operations being performed.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing linked lists to arrays for holding sorted data, there can be differences in performance.

Insertions and deletions in a linked list always have a time complexity of O(1) because they involve changing only a few pointers. However, searching for an element in a linked list has a time complexity of O(n) as it requires traversing the list from the beginning.

On the other hand, arrays have a constant time complexity of O(1) for accessing elements by index. But, when inserting or deleting an element, shifting the remaining elements to accommodate the change requires a time complexity of O(n).

So, in scenarios where frequent insertions and deletions are expected, linked lists can be more efficient. On the other hand, when frequent element access or searching is required, arrays may perform better.