Which structure uses pointers to connect elements?

The structure that uses pointers to connect elements is a linked list. In a linked list, each element, also known as a node, contains data and a pointer that points to the next node in the sequence. This design allows for dynamic memory allocation and efficient insertion and deletion of elements. The use of pointers is what distinguishes linked lists from array structures, which are indexed in a contiguous block of memory and do not utilize pointers for element connection.

Additionally, while trees and graphs also utilize pointers to connect nodes (or vertices), they do so in more complex configurations. In trees, each node can point to multiple child nodes, and graphs can have nodes pointing to multiple other nodes, making their structure inherently more intricate compared to the straightforward linear arrangement of linked lists.

Understanding linked lists is essential because they provide a flexible way to manage collections of data that may change in size, addressing limitations posed by static structures like arrays. This adaptability and the way linked lists leverage pointers for structural integrity make them a fundamental concept in data structures and algorithms.