### Understanding Data Structures and Algorithms: The Building Blocks of Efficient Code

Data structures are fundamental to programming, providing ways to organize and store data efficiently. Arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs are common examples, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right data structure for a given task is crucial for optimizing performance.

Algorithms, on the other hand, are sets of instructions that define how to solve a problem. Sorting algorithms like bubble sort and merge sort, searching algorithms like linear search and binary search, and graph algorithms...