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Linked Lists, Stacks & Queues · question
Question 10 of 75

How do you implement a stack, and what data structure backs it?

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You can build a stack on an array or on a linked list. Both keep push and pop at O(1). The choice mostly changes memory behavior, not the contract callers see.

With an array, you track the top index. Push writes at that index and bumps it. Pop reads and steps back. The array grows when full, occasionally copying everything to a bigger block.

With a linked list, the head node is the top. Push adds a new head; pop unlinks it. No copying ever happens, but each node costs an extra pointer.

stack.push(4); // top is now 4
stack.pop();   // returns 4, top restored

Most languages hand you a ready stack through their dynamic array type. Reach for that first.

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