When would you choose a Linked List over an Array?
Choosing a Linked List
I would choose a linked list only when its structural properties provide a real advantage over an array or array-backed collection. In modern systems, I would first evaluate workload characteristics because arrays generally have better cache locality and lower memory overhead.
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Frequent insertion and deletion where node references are already available.
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Workloads where contiguous memory allocation is undesirable or difficult.
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Structures naturally represented through links between nodes.
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Cases requiring stable node references under insertion or deletion, depending on the language and collection semantics.
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Avoid linked lists when frequent random access is required.
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Avoid them when memory locality and iteration performance are more important than cheap structural modification.
Follow-up Questions
- Why are arrays often faster despite O(n) insertion?
- What workloads favor a deque?