What is a Queue?
Explore the fundamentals of queues, a linear data structure that operates on the First In First Out (FIFO) principle. Understand how enqueue and dequeue operations work, discover the differences between linear, circular, and priority queues, and learn about their applications in algorithms, operating systems, and network management.
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Introduction #
Similar to the Stack, a Queue is another linear data structure that stores the elements in a sequential manner. The only significant difference between Stack and Queue is that instead of using the LIFO principle, Queue implements the FIFO method which is short for First in First Out.
According to FIFO, the first element inserted is the one that comes out first. You can think of a queue as a pipe with both ends open. Elements enter from one end (back) and leave from the other (front). The following animation illustrates the structure of a queue.
Queues are slightly trickier to implement as compared to stacks because we have to keep track ...