When should you prefer LinkedList and when should you avoid it?

LinkedList is a data structure that consists of a sequence of elements, where each element points to the next. Here are scenarios when you should prefer or avoid LinkedList:

When to Prefer LinkedList

• Frequent Insertions/Deletions: If your application requires frequent additions or deletions of elements, especially from the beginning or middle of the list, a LinkedList is preferred since it allows for efficient updates without shifting elements.
• Memory Management: LinkedLists can be more memory-efficient for certain applications where the size of the data structure fluctuates frequently. They allocate memory dynamically, reducing waste.
• Queue Implementations: LinkedList can act as a queue, making it an ideal choice for implementing queue functionalities where FIFO (first-in, first-out) behavior is needed.

When to Avoid LinkedList

• Random Access: If your application requires frequent access to elements based on their index, prefer ArrayList over LinkedList, as LinkedLists do not support quick access (O(n) time complexity).
• Memory Overhead: LinkedLists use more memory per element than ArrayLists because of the additional references (pointers) that store links to the next (and sometimes previous) nodes.
• Cache Performance: ArrayLists have better cache locality than LinkedLists due to contiguous memory allocation, making them generally faster for iterative access.