Linked List

A linked list is a linear data structure where elements, called nodes, are joined by pointers rather than stored side by side in memory. Each node holds a value and a reference to the next node, and you reach the list through its first node, the head. The last node points to null, which marks the end of the chain.Because nodes are linked instead of indexed, you cannot jump straight to position five the way you can in an array; you follow the next pointers one at a time. The trade-off pays off for insertions and deletions, which just rewire a couple of pointers instead of shifting elements. In Java, the standard flavour is the singly linked list, where each node links only forward.