In computing, variables or references that point backward to previous nodes or data structures, used in algorithms and data structures.
Compound of 'back' and 'pointers' (from pointer, computing term). Technical jargon from computer science, emerged mid-20th century.
Programmers use backpointers in data structures to efficiently navigate backward through lists—without them, you'd have to search from the beginning every time, which is computationally wasteful!
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