n 3-5 sentences, describe one disadvantage each for list, array, and queue data structures.

Answer 1

1. List: One disadvantage of using a list, particularly a linked list, is that accessing elements by index is inefficient, as it requires traversing the list from the head to the desired position, resulting in O(n) time complexity.

2. Array: A significant drawback of arrays is that they have a fixed size, which makes it challenging to expand or contract the data structure dynamically; if more space is needed, a new larger array must be created, and the existing elements copied over.

3. Queue: A main disadvantage of queues is that they follow a strict First-In-First-Out (FIFO) order, which can be limiting in scenarios where prioritization is essential, as it does not allow direct access to elements in the middle of the queue without processing all prior elements.