What is the lookup time for a linked list?

Question Analysis

The question is asking about the efficiency of retrieving an element from a linked list, specifically in terms of time complexity. It is important to understand the basic structure of a linked list, which is a linear data structure where each element (node) points to the next. This contrasts with arrays, where elements can be accessed directly by their index. The question aims to assess your understanding of data structures and your ability to analyze their performance characteristics.

Answer

The lookup time for a linked list is O(n), where n is the number of elements in the list. This is because, unlike arrays, linked lists do not support direct access by index. To find an element, you must start at the head of the list and traverse each node sequentially until you find the desired element or reach the end of the list. This linear search results in a time complexity of O(n) for lookup operations.