Data structure and algorithms help in understanding the nature of the problem at a deeper level and thereby a better understanding of the world. This course provides a set of techniques to the programmer for handling the data efficiently. If the programmer does not know about data structure and algorithm, they may not be able to write efficient code to handle the data. A comprehensive knowledge of data structures in combination with algorithms is the core foundation of writing good codes. We are using data structure in everyday lives without even knowing it. From our contact list, book piles to organizing hierarchy or to-do list, we are applying different arrangement techniques which are called as data structures in the computing realm. This project highlights the main use of data structures in real world scenario.
An user shops different products from amazon. Firstly, he chooses the category and under that he chooses the products. The user selects the products from the menu and applies the filter and sorting order to display the products. Offers and discounts are also applied to the order. The order is finalized and added to the cart. The user’s address and other details are read and the order is placed.
Data structures like Array of Structures, linked list, etc. and algorithms like sub-string search, insertion sort, etc. are used. Array of Structures is used because it is efficient for storing a set of data with certain order. Singly Linked list is used for cart because it helps connect previous order to the current order for discounts, offers and for calculating total amount for the order. Sub-string search algorithm is used for searching product information using the product name. Insertion sort order is used for sorting products according to arrival and rating. It is the most suitable sorting algorithm for this scenario because of its efficiency and simplicity. Efficiency of insertion sort is of the order n^2.
- Thomas H. Cormen, Clifford Stein, Ronald L. Rivest, and Charles E. Leiserson. 2001. Introduction to Algorithms (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
- lbackstrom. The Importance of Algorithms. Link: https://www.topcoder.com/community/data-science/data-science-tutorials/the-importance-of-algorithms/. Site last accessed on: 23 October 2017.
- “Launching Your App on Devices”, developer.apple.com, Retrieved(30 April, 2016)