A binary tree is a hierarchical data structure with each node having at most two children - left and right child, aiding in quick data organization for search, insertion, and deletion.
Binary trees have been crucial in computer science since the 1950s, primarily used in expression parsing and sorting algorithms, with the introduction of self-balancing variants like AVL Trees for consistent performance.
Binary Search Trees (BSTs) ensure logarithmic time operations for search, insert, and delete by following a specific property, but performance degrades when unbalanced.
BST operations involve traversing the tree from the root, inserting by comparison, and replacing nodes based on child count, offering a clear and efficient data structure with extensive applications in databases, AI, and software development.