Heaps

A heap is a specialized type of binary tree used in computer science to efficiently manage priorities. In a max-heap, each parent node has a value greater than or equal to its children, ensuring the highest priority element is always at the top. Conversely, a min-heap keeps the smallest element at the root. This structure allows quick access to the highest or lowest priority element, making operations like inserting or removing elements efficient. Heaps are fundamental for implementing priority queues and sorting algorithms like heapsort. They organize data to optimize retrieval and modification based on priority or value.