AVL Tree
An AVL tree is a self-balancing binary search tree where the heights of the two child subtrees of any node differ by at most one. It maintains this balance through rotations (single or double) after insertions and deletions, ensuring O(log n) time complexity for search, insertion, and deletion operations. Named after its inventors Adelson-Velsky and Landis, it is a fundamental data structure in computer science for efficient data storage and retrieval.
Developers should learn AVL trees when implementing applications that require guaranteed logarithmic performance for dynamic datasets, such as in-memory databases, real-time systems, or algorithms needing sorted data with frequent updates. It is particularly useful in scenarios where worst-case performance is critical, as it prevents the degradation to O(n) that can occur in unbalanced binary search trees, making it ideal for high-performance computing and competitive programming.