Introduction to Data Structure

It is important for every Computer Science student to understand the concept of Information and how it is organized or how it can be utilized.

What is Information?

If we arrange some data in an appropriate sequence, then it forms a Structure and gives us a meaning. This meaning is called Information . The basic unit of Information in Computer Science is a bit, Binary Digit .

So, we found two things in Information: One is Data and the other is Structure .

What is Data Structure?

1. A data structure is a systematic way of organizing and accessing data.
2. A data structure tries to structure data!
   • Usually more than one piece of data
   • Should define legal operations on the data
   • The data might be grouped together (e.g. in an linked list)

3. When we define a data structure we are in fact creating a new data type of our own.
   • i.e. using predefined types or previously user defined types.
   • Such new types are then used to reference variables type within a program