Explain how linked lists work in Python and discuss their advantages and disadvantages compared to arrays.
A linked list in Python is a data structure where each element, called a node, contains data and a reference to the next node. Unlike arrays, linked lists don’t require contiguous memory, allowing dynamic allocation. I create nodes and link them together, which is especially useful when data needs to be frequently inserted or deleted since these operations don’t require shifting elements like in an array.
The main advantage of linked lists is their efficiency in insertion and deletion operations, especially at the beginning or end. However, they have slower random access times compared to arrays because accessing a specific node requires sequential traversal from the head node. This makes linked lists ideal for applications where insertion and deletion are more frequent than element access, while arrays are preferred when fast access is required.
