Description: An adjacency list is a data structure used to represent a graph, where each vertex has a list of adjacent vertices. This representation is particularly space-efficient, as it only stores existing connections between vertices, rather than a matrix that could include many non-existent connections. In an adjacency list, each element of the list corresponds to a vertex of the graph and contains a collection of other vertices that are directly connected to it. This structure allows for quick and efficient operations such as searching for neighbors of a vertex. Additionally, it is flexible and adapts well to sparse graphs, where the number of edges is much lower than the square of the number of vertices. The adjacency list is widely used in various graph algorithms, such as Dijkstra’s algorithm for finding the shortest path, and in the representation of networks, such as social networks or transportation networks. Its simplicity and efficiency make it a popular choice among developers and data scientists working with graphs in diverse applications.
