How do the time complexities of queues and stacks compare?

How do the time complexities of queues and stacks compare?

Queues and stacks have different time complexities for their operations. For stacks, push and pop operations are O(1). For queues, enqueue and dequeue operations are also O(1). However, the underlying data structure can affect performance.

What about the space complexity?

Both queues and stacks typically have a space complexity of O(n), where n is the number of elements stored. This is because they need to store all the elements.

Are there any scenarios where one is preferred over the other?

Yes, stacks are preferred for scenarios requiring last-in, first-out (LIFO) access, like function calls. Queues are better for first-in, first-out (FIFO) scenarios, like task scheduling.

Can you give examples of real-world applications for each?

Sure! Stacks are used in undo mechanisms in software, while queues are used in print job management and task scheduling.