data structure

Particular way of storing and organizing data in a computer

EntityQ175263

Also known as information structure

Subclass of: data
, structure
, software component
Part of: computer science
, mathematical structure
, data format

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In computer science, a data structure is a way to organize and store data that is usually chosen for efficient access to data. More precisely, a data structure is the physical implementation of a data type, including specifications of the data organization and storage format, as well as functions or operations for working with this data. Data structures are closely related to abstract data types (ADTs). The data structure describes the representation of data in memory and how operations are carried out, while the ADT describes the logical form or algebraic structure of the data type—what operations are allowed and what results they produce—without describing how those operations are implemented. Some authors do not use the term "abstract data type" and simply refer to the logical and physical forms of the data structure.

Overview

All data

56 statements · 18% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Properties for this type: based on
discoverer or inventor
time of discovery or invention
average space complexity
worst-case space complexity
worst-case time complexity
average time complexity
ACM Classification Code (2012): 10002971
Different from: data type
abstract data type criterion used: concreteness
Manifestation of: abstract data type
EntitySchema for this class: E177

On other databases

38 identifiers linking data structure across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

18%

externally sourced

Source last edited September 15, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). data structure (Q175263). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/data-structure-Q175263