Stacks

Objective After this lecture you will be able to: Describe a stack Describe the representation of stack using linear array Describe the representation of stack using linear linked list Implementation of various operations on stack Describe some applications of stacks

Stack
Stack is one of the commonly used data structures. Stack is also called last in first out (LIFO) system Stack is a linear list in which insertion and deletion can take place only at one end called top. This structure operates in much the same way as stack of trays.

Stack of Trays

The following figure illustrate a stack, which can accommodate maximum of 10 elements figure shows stack after pushing elements 8,10,12,-5,6

9 8

7
6 5 top 4 3 2 1 0 6

-5
12 10 8

Stack after popping top two elements

9 8

7
6 5 4 3 top 2 1 0 12 10 8

stack after pushing elements 8,10,12,-5,6,9,55

9 8

7
top 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 55 9 6

-5
12 10 8

Operations on stacks
Createstack(s)to create s as an empty stack Push(s,i)--to push elementi onto stack s. Pop(s)to access and remove the top element of the stack s Peek(s)to access the top element of the stacks without removing it from the stack s. Isfull(s)to check whether the stack s is full isemptyto check whether the stack s is empty

Representation of stack in memory

Representation of stack using array: Suppose elements of the stack are integer type and stack can store maximum 10 elements.. #define MAX 10 typedef struct { int top; int elements[MAX]; }stack; stack s; Here we have defined our own data type named stack. First element top will be used to index top element Array elements hold the elements of the stack Last line declares variable s of type stack

stack
In addition to the previous declaration, we will use the declaration typedef enum {false, true } Boolean; This statement defined new data type named Boolean which can take value false or true.

Representation of stack in memory

0 4 top 0 2 top 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 12 -5

10 12

0 6 top

10 12 -5

55

Creating an empty stack

Before we can use a stack, it is to be initialized. As the index of array elements can take any value in the range 0 to MAX-1, the purpose of initializing the stack is served by assigning value -1 to the top of variable. This simple task can be accomplished by the following function. Void createstack( stack *ps) { ps=-1; }

Testing stack for underflow

Boolean isempty(stack *ps) { if(ps->top==-1) return true; else return false; } or Boolean is empty(stack *ps) { return ((ps->top==-1)?true:false); }

Testing stack for overflow

Boolean isfull(stack *ps) { if(ps->top==MAX-1) return true; else return false; } or Boolean is empty(stack *ps) { return ((ps->top==MAX-1)?true:false); }

Push Operation
Before the push operation, if the stack is empty, then the value of the top will be -1and if the stack is not empty then the value of the top will be the index of the element currently on the top. Therefore we place the value onto the stack, the value of top is incremented so that it points to the new top of stack, where incoming element is placed. Void push(stack *ps, int value) { ps->top++; ps->elements[ps->top]=value; }

Pop Operation
The element on the top of the stack is assigned to a local variable, which later on will be returned via the return statement. After assigning the top element to a local variable, the variable top is decremented so that it points to a new top Int pop(stack *ps) { int temp; temp=ps->elements[ps->top]; ps->top--; return temp; }

Accessing top element

There may be instances where we want to access the top element of the stack without removing it from the stack. Int peek( stack *ps) { return(ps->elements[ps->top]); }

Representing a stack using a linked list

A stack represented using a linked list is also known as linked stack. The array based representation of stack suffers from following limitations. Size of the stack must be known in advance We may come across situation when an attempt to push an element causes overflow. However stack is an abstract data structure can not be full. Hence, abstractly, it is always possible to push an element onto stack. Therefore stack as an array prohibits the growth of the stack beyond the finite number of elements.

Declaration of stack
The linked list representation allows a stack to grow to a limit of the computers memory. Typedef struct nodetype { int info; struct nodetype *next; }stack; Stack *top; Here I have defined my own data type named stack, which is a self referential structure and whose first element info hold the element of the stack and the second element next hold the address of the element under it in the stack. The last line declares a pointer variable top of type stack.

Representation of stack in memory

top

-5

12

10

top 6 -5 12 X

top 55 9 6 -5 12 10 8 X

Creating an empty stack

Before we can use a stack, it is to be initialized. To initialize a stack, we will create an empty linked list. The empty linked list is created by setting pointer variable top to value NULL. Void createstack(stack **top) { *top=NULL; }

Testing stack for underflow

Boolean isempty(stack *top) { if(top==NULL) return true; else return false; } or Boolean is empty(stack *top) { return ((top==NULL)?true:false); }

Testing stack for overflow

Since stack represented using a linked list can grow to a limit of computers memory, there overflow condition never occurs. Hence this operation is not implemented for linked list.

Push operation
To push a new element onto the stack, the element is inserted in the beginning of the linked list. void push(stack **top, int value) { stack *ptr; ptr=(stack*)malloc(sizeof(stack)); if(ptr==NULL) { printf(\n unable to allocate memory for new node); printf(\npress any key to exit..); getch(); return; } ptr->info=value; ptr->next=*top; *top=ptr; }

Pop operation
To pop an element from the stack, the element is removed from the beginning of the linked list. Int pop(stack **top) { int temp; stack *ptr; temp=(*top)->info; ptr=*top; *top=(*top)->next; free(ptr); return temp; }

Accessing top element

Int peek(stack *top) { return(top->info) }

Dispose a stack
Because the stack is implemented using linked lists, therefore it is programmers job to write the code to release the memory occupied by the stack. Void disposestack(stack **top) { stack *ptr; while(*top!=NULL) { ptr=*top; *top=(*top)->next; free(ptr); } }

Applications of Stacks
Stacks are used to pass parameters between functions. On a call to function, parameter and local variables are stored on stack. High level programming languages, such as Pascal c etc. that provide support for recursion use stack for book keeping. In each recursive call, there is need to save the current values of parameters, local variables and the return address. In addition to above stack are used to solve the various problems. 1. Parenthesis checker 2. Mathematical notation translation
1. Polish (prefix) notation 2. Reverse polish (postfix) Notation

3. Quick sort algorithm

Parenthesis checker
Parenthesis checker is a program that checks whether a mathematical expression is properly parenthesized. We will consider three sets of grouping symbols:
The standard parenthesis ( ) The braces { } the brackets [ ] For an input expression, it verifies that for each left parenthesis, braces or racket, there is a corresponding closing symbol and the symbols are appropriately nested.

Examples of valid inputs

Valid Input () invalid Input [(( )

( { } [ ])
({[][]})

( { } [ ]))
(( { [ ] [ ] } )

[ { { { } ( )} [ ] } [ ] ( ) { } ]

([ { { { } ( )} [ ] } }[ ] ( ) { } ]

Inside parenthesis there can be any valid arithmetic expression.

Parenthesis Checker Algo

parenthesisChecker(exp) Begin Read: exp Create empty stack For each character c in exp if(current character is left symbol) then push the character onto stack else if(current character is right symbol) then if(stack is empty) then print: Error No matching open symbol exit else pop a symbol s from the stack if( s doesnt correspond to c) then print: Error incorrect nesting of symbol exit endif endif endif Endfor If(stack is not empty) then print:Error missing closing symbol Else print: input expression is ok End

Mathematical notation Translation

Symbol used * (asterisk) / (slash) Operation performed Multiplication Division Precedence Highest Highest Highest Lowest lowest

% (percentage) Modulus + (plus) - (hyphen) Addition subtraction

Infix notation
In this notation, the operator symbol is placed between its two operands. To add A to B we can write as A+B or B+A To subtract D from C we write as C-D, but we can not write D-C as this operation is not commutative.

In this notation we must distinguish between (A+B)/C and A+(B/C)

Polish (prefix) notation

In this notation, named after the polish mathematician Jan Lukasiewiez, the operator symbol is placed before its two operands. To add A to B we write as +AB or +BA To subtract D from C we have to writ as CD not as -DC

Infix to polish notation

In order to translate an arithmetic expression in infix notation to polish notation, we do step by step using rackets ([]) to indicate the partial translations. Consider the following expression in infix notation: (A-B/C)*(A*K-L) The partial translation may look like: (A-[/BC])*([*AK]-L) [-A/BC]*[-*AKL] *-A/BC-*AKL The fundamental property of polish notation is that the order in which the operations to perform is completely determined by the position of the operators and operands in the expression. Accordingly one never needs parenthesis when writing expression in polish notation.

Reverse Polish (Postfix) Notation

In this notation the operator symbol is placed after its two operands. To add A to B we can write as AB+ or BA+ To subtract D from C we have to write as CDnot as DC-.

Infix to reverse polish notation

Consider the following expression in infix notation: (A-B/C)*(A/K-L) The partial translation may look like:] (A-[BC/])*([AK/]-L) [ABC/-]*[AK/L-] ABC/-AK/L-*

Evaluating Mathematical Expressions

Generally we use infix notation, where one can not tell the order in which the operator should be applied by looking at the expression. The expression in postfix notation is very easy to evaluate, as the operands appear before the operator, there is no need of operator precedence or parentheses for operation. In order to evaluate a postfix expression it is scanned from left to right. As operands are encountered, they are pushed on a stack. When an operator encountered, pop top one or two operands depending on the operator, perform the operation and place the result back on the stack.

Infix to postfix procedure

Consider the following infix expression q: (7-5)*(9/2)
Character scanned ( 7 5 ) * ( 9 / 2 ) End of expression stack ( ( ((empty * *( *( *(/ *(/ * Empty 7 7 75 757575759 759 7592 7592/ 7592/* Expression p

Evaluating expression in postfix notation

Evaluate postfixnotation(p,result) Begin Create empty stack while(not end of exp p) do if(element is operand) then push element onto stack else pop two elements and let first one is a and the second one is b evalute b@a, let its value be c, where @ is operator push c onto stack endif endwhile pop stack and assign this value to parameter result end

Evaluating expression in postfix notation

Consider the following postfix expression p: 7592/*
Character Scanned Stack

7
5 9 2 / *

7
75 2 29 292 2 4.5 9

End of expression