👉 Tries are a specialized tree-like data structure optimized for efficient storage and retrieval of strings, commonly used in applications like autocomplete, spell-checking, and IP routing. They are built on the principle of prefix matching, where each node represents a character, and paths from the root to any leaf node form a unique string. This allows for fast prefix searches, with operations like inserting, deleting, and searching having an average time complexity of O(m), where m is the length of the string. Tries support various operations beyond simple lookups, such as inserting new words, deleting nodes, and finding the shortest string matching a given prefix. Their hierarchical structure makes them particularly efficient for handling large datasets of strings with common prefixes, making them a powerful tool in computer science and natural language processing.
