A data structure is the logical or mathematical arrangement of data in memory. It considers not only the physical layout of the data items in the memory but also the relationships between these data items and the operations that can be performed on these items. The choice of appropriate data structures and algorithms forms the fundamental step in the design of an efficient program. Thus, a thorough understanding of data structure concepts is essential for students who wish to work in the design and implementation of software systems. C, a general-purpose programming language, having gained popularity in both academia and industry serves as an excellent choice for learning data structures.
This second edition of Data Structures Using C has been developed to provide a comprehensive and consistent coverage of both the abstract concepts of data structures as well as the implementation of these concepts using C language. The book utilizes a systematic approach wherein the design of each of the data structures is followed by algorithms of different operations that can be performed on them, and the analysis of these algorithms in terms of their running times.