A priority queue is a special type of queue data structure where each element has a certain priority associated with it. The elements in the queue are arranged based on their priority, with the highest priority element being at the front of the queue and the lowest priority element being at the back.
Key Characteristics of a Priority Queue:
Priority-based Ordering: The elements in the priority queue are ordered based on their priority, not their arrival time. The element with the highest priority is always at the front of the queue.
Dynamic Prioritization: The priority of an element can change over time, and the queue will automatically adjust its order to maintain the correct priority-based arrangement.
Efficient Access to Highest Priority Element: The main operations of a priority queue are enqueue (add an element) and dequeue (remove the highest priority element). These operations are typically designed to be efficient, with time complexities of O(log n) or better.
Applications: Priority queues are commonly used in various algorithms and applications, such as Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path in a graph, scheduling tasks in operating systems, and implementing certain types of sorting algorithms (e.g., heapsort).
