Tree data structures in 2 minutes 🌳

Introduction to Trees in Data Structures

Overview of Tree Structure

• A tree is defined as a non-linear data structure where nodes are organized hierarchically, consisting of nodes and edges.

• Nodes represent pieces of data, while edges signify relationships between these nodes. An example given is a family tree.

Real-Life Applications

• Common applications of tree structures include:

• File explorers

• Databases

• Domain Name Servers (DNS)

• HTML Document Object Model (DOM)

Key Terminology

• The top node in a tree is called the root node, which has only outgoing edges.

• Leaf nodes are at the bottom with no outgoing edges but have incoming ones.

• Branch nodes possess both incoming and outgoing edges.

Relationships Between Nodes

• Parent nodes have outgoing edges; child nodes have incoming edges.

• Sibling nodes share the same parent, illustrated by examples from the family tree analogy.

Tree Characteristics

• A sub-tree refers to a smaller tree within a larger one.

• The size of a tree is determined by counting its total number of nodes. For instance, the discussed tree has six nodes.

Depth and Height Definitions

• The depth of a node indicates how many edges lie below it from the root node; for example, the root has a depth of zero.