Arrays store elements in contiguous memory locations from "summary" of Data Structures and Algorithms in Python by Michael T. Goodrich,Roberto Tamassia,Michael H. Goldwasser
Arrays in programming languages are data structures that store elements in contiguous memory locations. This means that all elements of an array are stored one after another in memory, with no gaps in between. This allows for efficient access to elements in the array, as the memory locations are consecutive and can be easily calculated using the index of the element. Contiguous memory locations also enable efficient traversal of the array, as the next element in the array is located right after the current element in memory. This allows for sequential access to elements, which is useful in various algorithms and operations involving arrays. Moreover, the contiguous nature of memory locations in arrays allows for efficient memory management. Since elements are stored in a continuous block of memory, the operating system can allocate and deallocate memory for the array more easily, as it only needs to keep track of the starting memory address and the size of the array. In addition, the contiguous storage of elements in arrays contributes to the efficiency of operations such as sorting and searching. Algorithms that work on arrays can take advantage of the predictable memory layout of arrays to optimize their performance, resulting in faster execution times and better overall efficiency.- The concept of storing elements in contiguous memory locations in arrays is fundamental to understanding how arrays work and why they are efficient data structures in many programming scenarios. By leveraging the contiguous nature of memory locations, arrays enable fast and efficient access, traversal, memory management, and operations on elements, making them a versatile and powerful tool in programming.
