How Data Structures & Algorithms are Actually Used
3 min read
6 months ago
Published on Apr 23, 2024
This response is partially generated with the help of AI. It may contain inaccuracies.
Table of Contents
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Understanding Data Structures and Algorithms in Real-World Applications
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Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms:
- Forest introduces the concept of how data structures and algorithms are used in real-world applications, specifically focusing on social media apps.
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Data Storage in Social Media Apps:
- Posts in a social media app are stored as an array of objects in a database table.
- Each row represents a single post with unique identifiers such as ID, user ID, title, content, URL, and image.
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Fetching and Displaying Posts:
- To display posts, the app fetches them from the database and arranges them in descending order based on creation/update timestamps.
- The fetched data is then returned and stored for use in the application.
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Mapping Through Posts:
- Each post object is mapped through to ensure consistency and proper data handling within the application.
- The posts are then passed to the post feed component for display.
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Sorting Posts by Upvotes:
- Posts can also be sorted based on the number of upvotes they receive.
- This involves sorting the array of post objects based on the vote count value within each object.
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Sorting Algorithm Used:
- The sorting algorithm used in JavaScript depends on the engine (e.g., V8 in Chrome or Node.js).
- Forest mentions the use of Timsort, a hybrid sorting algorithm derived from merge sort and insertion sort.
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Real-World Use Case:
- Forest highlights how arrays of objects and sorting algorithms are utilized in actual applications, emphasizing their importance in project development.
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Introduction to Puzzle Game - Soan:
- Forest introduces a puzzle game called Soan, where players push boxes to designated spots on the game board.
- The game involves intricate data structures and algorithms to solve puzzles efficiently.
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Data Structures in Soan Game:
- The game board state, walls, boxes, goals, and player positions are captured using a specialized data structure.
- Hashmaps and arrays are used to map characters to bitfields and store game elements in a 2D setup.
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BFS Solver Implementation:
- Forest discusses a Breadth-First Search (BFS) solver for solving puzzles layer by layer.
- The BFS solver inherits from an abstract solver class and explores all possible moves from a given node before moving on to the next layer.
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Exploring the Search Space:
- The BFS solver uses a queue data structure to determine the order in which states are explored.
- States are explored layer by layer, covering the search space efficiently.
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Implementation in Java:
- Forest demonstrates the implementation of the BFS solver in Java, utilizing a queue to explore puzzle states and track valid moves.
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Conclusion and Subscription:
- Forest concludes the video by inviting viewers to subscribe if they enjoyed the content and encourages further exploration of data structures and algorithms.
By following these steps, you can gain a better understanding of how data structures and algorithms are applied in real-world scenarios, such as social media apps and puzzle games like Soan.