What are the limitations of using lists and deques in Python?

What are the limitations of using lists and deques in Python?

Lists in Python are great for most use cases, but they can be inefficient for certain operations like inserting or deleting elements at the beginning. Deques, on the other hand, are optimized for fast appends and pops from both ends, but they have a larger memory overhead.

Can you explain why lists are inefficient for certain operations?

Sure! Lists are implemented as dynamic arrays, which means that inserting or deleting elements at the beginning requires shifting all other elements, leading to O(n) time complexity. This can be slow for large lists.

What about deques? Are there any downsides to using them?

Yes, while deques are efficient for adding and removing elements from both ends, they do have a higher memory overhead compared to lists. Additionally, they don't support random access as efficiently as lists do.

When should I choose a list over a deque?

You should choose a list when you need fast random access and your operations mainly involve appending or accessing elements. If you frequently need to add or remove elements from both ends, a deque would be a better choice.