Data Structures

Checkpoints

• Array Basis An array stores elements of the same type in a contiguous block of memory, giving you O(1) access to any element by index. You will learn how that indexing works at the hardware level, how to use fixed-size arrays and flexible slices in Zig, and when to move array storage to the heap.
• Introduction to Data Structures Basis A data structure is a deliberate way of organizing data so that specific operations are efficient. This checkpoint explains why organization matters, introduces the vocabulary used throughout the series, and previews the structures you will study.
• Graph Basis A graph is a set of vertices connected by edges, giving a flexible structure for modeling networks, dependencies, and relationships. You will learn directed and undirected graphs, weighted edges, paths, cycles, and key graph families like trees and DAGs.
• Linked List Basis A linked list connects nodes through pointers rather than storing elements in contiguous memory, giving O(1) insertion and deletion at any known position in exchange for O(n) indexed access.
• Queue Basis A queue is a first-in, first-out (FIFO) data structure: elements are added at the back and removed from the front. This checkpoint contrasts queues with stacks, walks through array- and linked-list-backed implementations, and surveys the algorithms — like BFS and scheduling — that rely on FIFO order.
• Stack Basis A stack is a last-in, first-out (LIFO) data structure essential to how programs manage function calls, expression evaluation, and backtracking algorithms.