Linked List (Data Structure)

A Linked List is a collection of nodes where each node stores data and a pointer to the next node in the list. Unlike arrays, linked lists are dynamic and do not require continuous memory.

Why Use Linked Lists?

• Dynamic size (grow or shrink easily)
• Efficient insertion and deletion
• No memory wastage
• Used in stacks, queues, graphs

Basic Node Creation Example

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct Node {
  int data;
  struct Node* next;
};

int main() {
  struct Node* head = (struct Node*) malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
  head->data = 10;
  head->next = NULL;

  printf("Node Data: %d", head->data);
  return 0;
}

Expected Output

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to free allocated nodes
• Not updating next pointers correctly
• Accessing NULL nodes