Data Science Fundamentals

A linear data structure arranges its elements in a sequential order, where each element is connected to its previous and next element in a single line (except for the first and last elements). An array fits this definition because its elements are stored in contiguous memory locations and are accessed sequentially by index. In contrast, a Tree and a Graph are non-linear data structures — a Tree organizes data hierarchically with parent-child relationships, and a Graph represents nodes connected by edges in potentially complex, non-sequential patterns, so traversal does not follow a single sequential path.