Data structures using C : 1000 problems and solutions

Data are the blood of any application that we develop. A data structure is like the viscera that pumps and carries that blood. In other words, data structure is the heart of any application we design. Selection of a data structure can drastically enhance the performance of the system. The main motivation behind this book is to show the application of several data structures for different diverse problems. Matrix multiplication can be used to calculate the total revenues of a chain of departmental stores. In other data structure books we find the logic of matrix multiplication but their applications are not available. Moreover, data structure is taught as a stand-alone subject devoid of application of other fields of science. In this book the relationship between data structure and other fields of science like numerical meth- ods, applied statistics, physics, etc., are shown with a variety of problems. While I studied data structure, there was no such book available which covered all the basic algorithms of different data structures and their appli- cations. So I decided to write one for future students of data structures. This book is mainly written for the students of BE, BSc (Comp Sc.), BSc (IT), BCA, and MCA but it can be used by students of any data structure course because it covers a variety of data structures and teaches its readers how to create their own data structures to serve a specific need. Students who are preparing for GATE examination on Computer Science will also find this book useful. Undergraduate students who know about C arrays and structures can skip chapters 1 and 2. Other than this exception, the chapters are arranged in an order in which they should be read. “Before we start” discusses what a data structure is and why it is needed. This section gives the reader an overview of a data structure and its importance in programming different applications. Chapter 1 discusses arrays, starting from declaring an array to how arrays can be used