differences between a stack and a queue in data structures

Full Answer Section

Queues

First In, First Out (FIFO): The first element added is the first one to be removed.
Operations:
- enqueue: Adds an element to the rear of the queue.
- dequeue: Removes the front element from the queue.
- peek: Returns the front element without removing it.
Use Cases:
- Print jobs: Processing print requests in the order they are received.
- Task scheduling: Managing tasks in a first-come, first-served manner.
- Breadth-first search: Exploring graph nodes level by level.

Key Differences

Feature	Stack	Queue
Access order	LIFO	FIFO
Operations	`push`, `pop`, `peek`	`enqueue`, `dequeue`, `peek`
Use cases	Function calls, undo/redo, expression evaluation	Print jobs, task scheduling, breadth-first search

Choosing the Right Data Structure The appropriate data structure depends on the specific requirements of the problem at hand. If the order in which elements are processed is important, a queue is often the better choice. If the most recent elements need to be accessed or removed first, a stack is more suitable.

Sample Solution

Stacks and Queues: Key Differences and Use Cases

Stacks

Last In, First Out (LIFO): The most recently added element is the first one to be removed.
Operations:
- push: Adds an element to the top of the stack.
- pop: Removes the top element from the stack.
- peek: Returns the top element without removing it.
Use Cases:
- Function calls: Tracking the order of function calls in a program.
- Undo/redo functionality: Reversing actions in a sequential manner.
- Expression evaluation: Evaluating arithmetic expressions using parentheses.

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