Lesson Plan: Data Structures and Algorithms – Stack

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Understand the fundamental concept of a stack and its LIFO (Last In,
First Out) principle.

2. Implement stack operations such as push, pop, peek, and isEmpty in a

programming language.

3. Recognize various applications of stacks in computing and real-world

scenarios.

4. Solve complex problems using stacks, including balancing parentheses,

evaluating postfix expressions, and designing custom stack-based
solutions.

5. Compare and contrast stacks with other data structures like queues.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction to Stacks (20 Minutes)

 Definition and Overview:

o Explain what a stack is, emphasizing the LIFO principle.

o Discuss real-life examples (e.g., stack of plates, browser back

button) to connect with the concept.

 Key Operations:

o Define and illustrate basic stack operations: Push, Pop, Peek/Top,

and isEmpty.

o Use visual aids like diagrams or animations to reinforce these

concepts.

2. Stack Operations in Depth (40 Minutes)

 Pseudocode and Implementation:

o Walk through pseudocode for each stack operation.

o Demonstrate the translation of pseudocode into a specific

programming language (e.g., Python, Java, C++).
 o Encourage students to follow along with coding on their laptops.

 Hands-On Coding Exercise:

o Task students with implementing a stack using an array or linked

list.

o Guide them through testing their implementation with sample

inputs and outputs.

3. Break (10 Minutes)

4. Applications of Stacks (30 Minutes)

 Real-World Use Cases:

o Discuss the role of stacks in:

 Function Call Management: Stack frames in recursion.

 Expression Evaluation: Converting infix to postfix

expressions.

 Backtracking: In algorithms like depth-first search.

 Undo Mechanism: In text editors and IDEs.

 Interactive Example:

o Work through a problem involving stack-based evaluation of

postfix expressions as a class. Use the whiteboard to simulate
the stack operations.

5. Problem Solving with Stacks (30 Minutes)

 Individual Practice Problems:

o Distribute a set of progressively challenging problems that

require stack operations.

o Example problems:

 Balancing parentheses in an expression.

 Reversing a string using a stack.

 Implementing a stack-based browser history navigation.

 Group Activity:
 o Divide the class into small groups to solve one complex problem
together (e.g., designing a custom stack that also tracks the
minimum element). Encourage collaboration and discussion.

6. Advanced Stack Concepts (40 Minutes)

 Stack Variations:

o Introduce and explain variations such as:

 Double-Ended Stack (Deque)

 Circular Stack

 Priority Stack

 Implementation Challenge:

o Assign students a challenge to implement one of these

variations.

o Walk through a sample implementation of a double-ended stack

(Deque) together.

7. Break (10 Minutes)

8. Comparative Analysis: Stacks vs. Queues (30 Minutes)

 Conceptual Comparison:

o Highlight the differences between stacks and queues.

o Discuss the FIFO (First In, First Out) principle of queues and how
it contrasts with stacks.

 Application Scenarios:

o Explore scenarios where stacks are preferable over queues and

vice versa.

o Discuss how data structure choice impacts algorithm

performance.

 Interactive Coding:

o Let students convert a stack-based solution to a queue-based

one, or vice versa, to see how the data structure changes affect
the logic.
9. Recap and Open Discussion (30 Minutes)

 Review Session:

o Summarize the key points covered: Stack operations,

applications, problem-solving techniques, and advanced stack
concepts.

 Q&A Session:

o Open the floor to questions and allow students to express any

difficulties or uncertainties.

o Provide additional examples or explanations as needed.

10. Homework/Assignment:

 Coding Project:

o Assign students a comprehensive project where they must use

stacks to solve a real-world problem (e.g., implementing a text
editor with undo/redo functionality).

 Reading and Research:

o Assign chapters from a textbook or recommend online resources

for deeper exploration of stacks and their applications.

Assessment:

 In-Class Participation:

o Observe and evaluate students' engagement during coding

exercises, group activities, and discussions.

 Project Submission:

o Evaluate the complexity, correctness, and efficiency of the

coding project. Provide constructive feedback.

Follow-up:

 Next Lesson:

o Transition to the study of queues, emphasizing the differences

and similarities with stacks.
  Discussion on Data Structures in Depth:

o Plan future lessons on linked lists, trees, and graphs, tying back
to the fundamental concepts learned with stacks.

Problem Solving with Stacks

Balancing Parentheses in an Expression:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAX 100

char stack[MAX];
int top = -1;

void push(char element) {

stack[++top] = element;
}

char pop() {
if (top == -1) {
return -1;
} else {
return stack[top--];
}
}

int isMatchingPair(char left, char right) {

return (left == '(' && right == ')');
}

int areParenthesesBalanced(char* expr) {

int i = 0;
char token;
while ((token = expr[i++]) != '\0') {
if (token == '(') {
push(token);
} else if (token == ')') {
if (top == -1 || !isMatchingPair(pop(), token)) {
return 0;
}
}
}
return top == -1;
}

int main() {
 char expr[MAX] = "(A+B)*(C+D)";
if (areParenthesesBalanced(expr)) {
printf("Parentheses are balanced\n");
} else {
printf("Parentheses are not balanced\n");
}
return 0;
}

Reversing a String Using a Stack:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAX 100

char stack[MAX];
int top = -1;

void push(char element) {

stack[++top] = element;
}

char pop() {
if (top == -1) {
return -1;
} else {
return stack[top--];
}
}

void reverseString(char* str) {

int length = strlen(str);
for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
push(str[i]);
}
for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
str[i] = pop();
}
}

int main() {
char str[MAX] = "Hello, World!";
reverseString(str);
printf("Reversed string: %s\n", str);
return 0;
}
Implementing a Stack-Based Browser History Navigation:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define MAX 100

char backStack[MAX][MAX];
char forwardStack[MAX][MAX];
int topBack = -1, topForward = -1;

void pushBack(char* url) {

strcpy(backStack[++topBack], url);
}

void pushForward(char* url) {

strcpy(forwardStack[++topForward], url);
}

char* popBack() {
if (topBack == -1) {
return NULL;
} else {
return backStack[topBack--];
}
}

char* popForward() {
if (topForward == -1) {
return NULL;
} else {
return forwardStack[topForward--];
}
}

void navigateBack() {
if (topBack != -1) {
pushForward(backStack[topBack]);
printf("Navigating back to: %s\n", popBack());
} else {
printf("No more history to go back to.\n");
}
}

void navigateForward() {
if (topForward != -1) {
pushBack(forwardStack[topForward]);
printf("Navigating forward to: %s\n", popForward());
} else {
printf("No more history to go forward to.\n");
}
}

int main() {
pushBack("page1.com");
pushBack("page2.com");
pushBack("page3.com");

navigateBack(); // Navigating back to page2.com

navigateBack(); // Navigating back to page1.com

navigateForward(); // Navigating forward to page2.com

return 0;
}

5. Advanced Stack Concepts

Stack Variations in C:
 Double-Ended Stack (Deque):
o C does not have built-in deque functionality, but you can simulate it
using arrays and indices for both ends.

 Circular Stack:
o Implement a circular stack where the top wraps around to the start
when the end is reached.

#include <stdio.h>

#define MAX 5
int stack[MAX];
int top = -1;

void push(int element) {

if ((top + 1) % MAX == 0) {
printf("Stack Overflow\n");
} else {
top = (top + 1) % MAX;
stack[top] = element;
}
}

int pop() {
if (top == -1)