Difference Between Graph and Tree
Feature | Graph | Tree |
---|---|---|
Definition | A collection of nodes (vertices) and edges, where edges connect nodes. | A hierarchical data structure consisting of nodes connected by edges with a single root node. |
Structure | Can have cycles (loops) and disconnected components. | No cycles; connected structure with exactly one path between any two nodes. |
Root Node | No root node; nodes may have multiple parents or no parents at all. | Has a designated root node that has no parent. |
Node Relationship | Relationships between nodes are arbitrary. | Parent-child relationship; each node (except the root) has exactly one parent. |
Edges | Each node can have any number of edges. | If there is n nodes then there would be n-1 number of edges |
Traversal Complexity | Traversal can be complex due to cycles and disconnected components. | Traversal is straightforward and can be done in linear time. |
Application | Used in various scenarios like social networks, maps, network optimization, etc. | Commonly used for hierarchical data representation like file systems, organization charts, HTML DOM, XML documents, etc. |
Examples | Social networks, road networks, computer networks. | File systems, family trees, HTML DOM structure. |
Difference Between Graph and Tree
Graphs and trees are two fundamental data structures used in computer science to represent relationships between objects. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct differences that make them suitable for different applications.