In a queue implemented using an array, what is the time complexity of enqueue operation in the worst case?

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Q: In a queue implemented using an array, what is the time complexity of enqueue operation in the worst case?

Solution: In the worst case, if the array is full and needs to be resized, the enqueue operation can take O(n) time.

Steps: 7

Step 1: Understand what a queue is. A queue is a data structure that follows the First In First Out (FIFO) principle.
Step 2: Know that in a queue implemented using an array, we add elements to the end of the queue using the enqueue operation.
Step 3: Realize that if the array is full, we cannot add more elements directly.
Step 4: When the array is full and we want to enqueue a new element, we need to create a new larger array.
Step 5: Copy all the existing elements from the old array to the new array. This takes time proportional to the number of elements, which is O(n).
Step 6: After copying, we can add the new element to the end of the new array.
Step 7: Therefore, in the worst case, the time complexity of the enqueue operation is O(n) because of the copying step.