Sparse Array & Matrix (Linked List Implementation)

This is a small C++ project that first builds a sparse array using a linked list, and then uses it as the foundation to implement a sparse matrix. These structures store only non-zero elements to save memory, using pointer-based linked lists for dynamic and efficient data representation.

Features

• Sparse array class for storing non-zero values at specific indices
• Sparse matrix class built using sparse arrays (array of linked lists)
• Supports:
  • Setting and getting values
  • Printing full and non-zero-only versions
  • Matrix addition

Why This Project?

This mini project was designed to explore sparse data structures using object-oriented programming in C++. It’s a good exercise for learning:

• Pointer-based data structures
• Memory efficiency in sparse data
• Linked list operations and traversal

Example Usage

SparseMatrix matrix(10, 10);
matrix.set_value(5, 3, 6);
matrix.set_value(7, 8, 2);

matrix.print_matrix();          // Prints full matrix
matrix.print_matrix_nonzero(); // Prints only non-zero values