Hash, tree, graph quick choices
Recall when to reach for hash tables, trees, and graph representations.
Shape Key-value versus ordered tree Use the relationship promise: direct key lookup or ordered navigation. Objection This is a hierarchy, so it must be a tree. A category can appear under more than one parent. Multiple parents break the simple tree invariant. Your line If an item can have multiple parents, let's model it as graph-shaped or define shortcuts separately from the tree. It protects tree invariants and avoids hidden cycles. What is the binary search tree invariant? Keys in the left subtree are less than the node's key, and keys in the right subtree are greater. That invariant is…
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