Short5 marksmediumSolution
Differentiate between Linear Queue and Circular Queue. Explain how modulo arithmetic prevents false overflow.
Data Structures and Algorithms
Verified Solution & Step-by-Step Explanation
solution · en · Verified by Editorial Board
Linear Queue vs Circular Queue
In a Linear Queue, once rear reaches MAX - 1, no new insertions are permitted even if previous elements were dequeued (front > 0). This issue is known as false overflow.
A Circular Queue solves this by wrapping around to index 0 using modulo arithmetic:
\text{rear} = (\text{rear} + 1) \pmod{\text{MAX}}
\text{front} = (\text{front} + 1) \pmod{\text{MAX}}