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Deletion operation in data structure with example

Deletion operation in data structures refers to the process of removing an element from a data structure. The process of deletion depends on the type of data structure being used. Here are some examples of deleting an element from different data structures:

  1. Array: To delete an element from an array, you can shift all the elements after the element you want to delete one position to the left. This can be done using a loop. However, this approach has a time complexity of O(n) as it requires looping through the entire array.
  2. Linked List: In a linked list, you can delete an element by changing the next pointer of the element before it to point to the element after it, effectively skipping the element you want to delete. This approach has a time complexity of O(1) as it only requires updating a few pointers.
  3. Stack: In a stack, you can delete an element by simply popping it off the top of the stack. This has a time complexity of O(1) as it only requires updating the top pointer.
  4. Queue: In a queue, you can delete an element by dequeuing it from the front of the queue. This also has a time complexity of O(1).

In all these cases, it is important to ensure that the element you want to delete actually exists in the data structure before attempting to delete it. Otherwise, it may result in an error.