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Node (computer science)

 

 
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Node (computer science)
 
 
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A node is an abstract basic unit used to build linked data structure
Data structure

A data structure in computer science is a way of storing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently. It is an organization of mathematical and logical concepts of data....
s such as trees, linked list
Linked list

In computer science, a linked list is one of the fundamental data structures, and can be used to implement other data structures. It consists of a sequence of node s, each containing arbitrary data Field s and one or two reference s pointing to the next and/or previous nodes....
s, and computer-based representations of graphs
Graph (data structure)

In computer science, a graph is a kind of data structure, specifically an abstract data type , that consists of a Set of nodes and a set of edges that establish relationships between the nodes....
. Each node contains some data
DATA

Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa is a multinational Non-governmental organization founded in January 2002 in London by U2's Bono along with Robert Sargent Shriver III and activists from the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt campaign....
 and possibly links to other nodes. Links between nodes are often implemented by pointer
Data pointer

In computer science, a pointer is a programming language data type whose value refers directly to another value stored elsewhere in the computer memory using its Memory address....
s or reference
Reference (computer science)

In computer science, a reference is an object containing information about how to locate and access the particular data item, as opposed to containing the data itself....
s.

A node can be thought of as a logical placeholder for some data. It is a memory block which contains some data unit and perhaps references to other nodes, which in turn contain data and perhaps references to yet more nodes.






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Encyclopedia


A node is an abstract basic unit used to build linked data structure
Data structure

A data structure in computer science is a way of storing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently. It is an organization of mathematical and logical concepts of data....
s such as trees, linked list
Linked list

In computer science, a linked list is one of the fundamental data structures, and can be used to implement other data structures. It consists of a sequence of node s, each containing arbitrary data Field s and one or two reference s pointing to the next and/or previous nodes....
s, and computer-based representations of graphs
Graph (data structure)

In computer science, a graph is a kind of data structure, specifically an abstract data type , that consists of a Set of nodes and a set of edges that establish relationships between the nodes....
. Each node contains some data
DATA

Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa is a multinational Non-governmental organization founded in January 2002 in London by U2's Bono along with Robert Sargent Shriver III and activists from the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt campaign....
 and possibly links to other nodes. Links between nodes are often implemented by pointer
Data pointer

In computer science, a pointer is a programming language data type whose value refers directly to another value stored elsewhere in the computer memory using its Memory address....
s or reference
Reference (computer science)

In computer science, a reference is an object containing information about how to locate and access the particular data item, as opposed to containing the data itself....
s.

A node can be thought of as a logical placeholder for some data. It is a memory block which contains some data unit and perhaps references to other nodes, which in turn contain data and perhaps references to yet more nodes. By forming chains of interlinked nodes, very large and complex data structures can be formed.

Nodes are conceptually similar to vertices
Vertex (graph theory)

In graph theory, a vertex or node is the fundamental unit out of which graphs are formed: an undirected graph consists of a set of vertices and a set of edges , while a directed graph consists of a set of vertices and a set of arcs ....
, which are elements of a graph
Graph (mathematics)

In mathematics a graph is an abstract representation of a set of objects where some pairs of the objects are connected by links. The interconnected objects are represented by mathematical abstractions called vertices, and the links that connect some pairs of vertices are called edges....
.

Examples of Abstract Node Implementation

A node containing a single reference field. class Node

Here three such nodes form a singly-linked list of length 3.


A node containing two reference fields. class Node

Here two such nodes form a doubly-linked list of length 2.