What is a binary tree, and how is it different from a binary search tree?
A binary tree is a hierarchical data structure in which each node has at most two children, referred to as the left and right children. Binary trees are used in various applications, including expression parsing, data storage, and priority scheduling. They are a more general structure, where each node can hold any type of data and may or may not follow any specific order.
A binary search tree (BST), however, is a specific type of binary tree with an ordering rule: each node’s left child contains values less than the node, and each right child contains values greater. This ordering makes BSTs especially useful for search operations, as it enables efficient search, insertion, and deletion processes, typically with O(log n) time complexity. By enforcing this ordering, BSTs optimize data retrieval compared to regular binary trees, making them ideal for search-based applications.
