Although there are many advanced and specialized texts and handbooks on algorithms, until now there was no book that focused exclusively on the wide variety of data structures that have been reported in the literature. The Handbook of Data Structures and Applications responds to the needs of students, professionals, and researchers who need a mainstream reference on data structures by providing a comprehensive survey of data structures of various types.

Divided into seven parts, the text begins with a review of introductory material, followed by a discussion of well-known classes of data structures, Priority Queues, Dictionary Structures, and Multidimensional structures. The editors next analyze miscellaneous data structures, which are well-known structures that elude easy classification. The book then addresses mechanisms and tools that were developed to facilitate the use of data structures in real programs. It concludes with an examination of the applications of data structures.

The Handbook is invaluable in suggesting new ideas for research in data structures, and for revealing application contexts in which they can be deployed. Practitioners devising algorithms will gain insight into organizing data, allowing them to solve algorithmic problems more efficiently.