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Abstract Data Types or ADTs Are A Mathematical Specification of A Set of Data and The Set of Operations That Can Be Performed On The Data

Abstract data types (ADTs) are mathematical specifications that define a set of data and operations that can be performed on that data without specifying the implementation. A rational number ADT is provided as an example that defines construction of rational numbers as fractions and operations like addition, subtraction, etc. ADTs are realized through interfaces that shield implementations, allowing the implementation to change without affecting users. Common ADTs include strings, lists, stacks, queues, binary search trees, and priority queues. ADTs can have multiple implementations, such as a list being implemented as an array or linked list.

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Wahab Kukaswadia
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34 views

Abstract Data Types or ADTs Are A Mathematical Specification of A Set of Data and The Set of Operations That Can Be Performed On The Data

Abstract data types (ADTs) are mathematical specifications that define a set of data and operations that can be performed on that data without specifying the implementation. A rational number ADT is provided as an example that defines construction of rational numbers as fractions and operations like addition, subtraction, etc. ADTs are realized through interfaces that shield implementations, allowing the implementation to change without affecting users. Common ADTs include strings, lists, stacks, queues, binary search trees, and priority queues. ADTs can have multiple implementations, such as a list being implemented as an array or linked list.

Uploaded by

Wahab Kukaswadia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Abstract data types or ADTs are a mathematical specification of a set of data and the set

of operations that can be performed on the data. They are abstract in the sense that the
focus is on the definitions of the constructor that returns an abstract handle that
represents the data, and the various operations with their arguments. The actual
implementation is not defined, and does not affect the use of the ADT.
For example, rational numbers (numbers that can be written in the form a/b where a
and b are integers) cannot be represented natively in a computer. A Rational ADT could
be defined as shown below.
Construction: Create an instance of a rational number ADT using two integers, a and b,
where a represents the numerator and b represents the denominator.
Operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, comparison,
simplify, conversion to a real (floating point) number.
To be a complete specification, each operation should be defined in terms of the data.
For example, when multiplying two rational numbers a/b and c/d, the result is defined as
ac/bd. Typically, inputs, outputs, preconditions, postconditions, and assumptions to the
ADT are specified as well.

When realized in a computer program, the ADT is represented by an interface, which


shields a corresponding implementation. Users of an ADT are concerned with the
interface, but not the implementation, as the implementation can change in the future.
ADTs typically seen in textbooks and implemented in programming languages (or their
libraries) include:
• String ADT
• List ADT
• Stack (last-in, first-out) ADT
• Queue (first-in, first-out) ADT
• Binary Search Tree ADT
• Priority Queue ADT
• Complex Number ADT (imaginary numbers)
There is a distinction, although sometimes subtle, between
There is a distinction, although sometimes subtle, between the abstract data type and
the data structure used in its implementation. For example, a List ADT can be
represented using an array-based implementation or a linked-list implementation. A List
is an abstract data type with well-defined operations (add element, remove element,
etc.) while a linked-list is a pointer-based data structure that can be used to create a
representation of a List. The linked-list implementation is so commonly used to represent
a List ADT that the terms are interchanged and understood in common use.
Similarly, a Binary Search Tree ADT can be represented in several ways: binary
tree, AVL tree, red-black tree, array, etc. Regardless of the implementation, the Binary
Search Tree always has the same operations (insert, remove, find, etc.)

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