Maps are a fundamental data structure used in computer science to store and organize data in an efficient way. Maps store a collection of key-value pairs, which allows you to retrieve a value based on its associated key. This makes them particularly useful when you have large datasets and need to quickly access specific pieces of information.
The implementation of maps varies depending on the programming language and are frequently used in Python, Java, and JavaScript. A map is implemented as a dictionary in Python, whereas it is implemented as a hashmap in Java. Despite these variations, the fundamental ideas behind maps are the same.