Data Structures & Algorithms for Competitive Exam Prep

Data Structures & Algorithms

Q. Which of the following Python functions can be used to implement binary search?

A. sorted()
B. bisect.bisect_left()
C. list.index()
D. max()

Solution

The bisect.bisect_left() function can be used to find the position to insert an element in a sorted list, effectively implementing binary search.

Correct Answer: B — bisect.bisect_left()

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is a real-world application of binary search?

A. Finding a name in a phone book
B. Sorting a list of names
C. Searching for a file in a directory
D. Inserting an element in a linked list

Solution

Binary search is effectively used for finding a name in a sorted phone book.

Correct Answer: A — Finding a name in a phone book

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is best suited for using a Red-Black tree?

A. When frequent insertions and deletions are required.
B. When memory usage is a critical factor.
C. When the data is static and rarely changes.
D. When the data needs to be sorted frequently.

Solution

Red-Black trees are efficient for scenarios with frequent insertions and deletions due to their balancing properties.

Correct Answer: A — When frequent insertions and deletions are required.

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is best suited for using a stack?

A. Processing tasks in the order they arrive
B. Reversing a string
C. Searching for an element in a list
D. Maintaining a sorted list

Solution

A stack is best suited for reversing a string, as it allows characters to be pushed and popped in reverse order.

Correct Answer: B — Reversing a string

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is best suited for using an AVL tree?

A. When frequent insertions and deletions are expected
B. When search operations are more frequent than insertions
C. When memory usage is a critical concern
D. When the data is mostly static

Solution

AVL trees are best suited for scenarios where search operations are frequent, as they maintain balance and ensure O(log n) time complexity for searches.

Correct Answer: B — When search operations are more frequent than insertions

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is BFS preferred over DFS?

A. Finding the shortest path in an unweighted graph
B. Exploring all possible paths
C. Finding a cycle in a graph
D. Topological sorting

Solution

BFS is preferred for finding the shortest path in an unweighted graph because it explores all nodes at the present depth before moving deeper.

Correct Answer: A — Finding the shortest path in an unweighted graph

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is Dijkstra's algorithm best suited for?

A. Finding the shortest path in a road network
B. Sorting a list of numbers
C. Searching for an element in a binary search tree
D. Finding the maximum flow in a network

Solution

Dijkstra's algorithm is particularly effective for finding the shortest path in road networks where edges have non-negative weights.

Correct Answer: A — Finding the shortest path in a road network

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Q. Which of the following scenarios is NOT suitable for binary search?

A. Searching in a sorted array
B. Searching in a linked list
C. Searching in a sorted list
D. Searching in a sorted tree

Solution

Binary search is not suitable for linked lists because it requires random access to elements, which linked lists do not provide.

Correct Answer: B — Searching in a linked list

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Q. Which of the following scenarios would benefit from using a Red-Black tree?

A. When frequent insertions and deletions are expected.
B. When the dataset is static and does not change.
C. When searching is the only operation performed.
D. When memory usage is a critical constraint.

Solution

Red-Black trees are particularly beneficial in scenarios with frequent insertions and deletions due to their ability to maintain balance efficiently.

Correct Answer: A — When frequent insertions and deletions are expected.

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Q. Which of the following scenarios would benefit from using an AVL tree over a Red-Black tree?

A. Frequent insertions and deletions
B. Frequent lookups
C. Static data with no modifications
D. Data with many duplicate values

Solution

AVL trees provide faster lookups than Red-Black trees due to their stricter balancing, making them beneficial in scenarios with frequent lookups.

Correct Answer: B — Frequent lookups

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Q. Which of the following scenarios would NOT be suitable for binary search?

A. Searching in a sorted array
B. Searching in a linked list
C. Searching in a sorted list
D. Searching in a sorted tree

Solution

Binary search is not suitable for linked lists because they do not allow direct access to the middle element.

Correct Answer: B — Searching in a linked list

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Q. Which of the following scenarios would require a right rotation in an AVL tree?

A. Left-Left case
B. Right-Right case
C. Left-Right case
D. Right-Left case

Solution

A right rotation is required in an AVL tree during a Left-Left case, where a node is inserted into the left subtree of the left child.

Correct Answer: A — Left-Left case

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Q. Which of the following scenarios would require the use of an alternative to Dijkstra's algorithm?

A. Finding the shortest path in a road network
B. Calculating the shortest path in a graph with negative weights
C. Finding the shortest path in a weighted graph
D. Finding the shortest path in a tree structure

Solution

If the graph contains negative weight edges, an alternative algorithm like Bellman-Ford should be used instead of Dijkstra's.

Correct Answer: B — Calculating the shortest path in a graph with negative weights

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms has the best average time complexity?

A. Bubble Sort
B. Insertion Sort
C. Quick Sort
D. Selection Sort

Solution

Quick Sort has an average time complexity of O(n log n), which is better than the other options listed.

Correct Answer: C — Quick Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms has the best average-case time complexity?

A. Bubble Sort
B. Insertion Sort
C. Quick Sort
D. Selection Sort

Solution

Quick Sort has the best average-case time complexity of O(n log n) among the given sorting algorithms.

Correct Answer: C — Quick Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms has the worst-case time complexity of O(n^2)?

A. Merge Sort
B. Quick Sort
C. Bubble Sort
D. Heap Sort

Solution

Bubble Sort has a worst-case time complexity of O(n^2).

Correct Answer: C — Bubble Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is based on the divide and conquer approach?

A. Bubble Sort
B. Insertion Sort
C. Merge Sort
D. Selection Sort

Solution

Merge Sort is a sorting algorithm that uses the divide and conquer strategy to sort elements.

Correct Answer: C — Merge Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is not a comparison-based sort?

A. Merge Sort
B. Quick Sort
C. Heap Sort
D. Counting Sort

Solution

Counting Sort is not a comparison-based sort; it uses counting to determine the position of each element.

Correct Answer: D — Counting Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is not based on comparisons?

A. Quick Sort
B. Merge Sort
C. Bubble Sort
D. Counting Sort

Solution

Counting Sort is a non-comparison-based sorting algorithm that sorts integers by counting occurrences.

Correct Answer: D — Counting Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is not in-place?

A. Quick Sort
B. Merge Sort
C. Bubble Sort
D. Insertion Sort

Solution

Merge Sort requires additional space for merging, making it not an in-place sorting algorithm.

Correct Answer: B — Merge Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is not stable?

A. Bubble Sort
B. Merge Sort
C. Quick Sort
D. Insertion Sort

Solution

Quick Sort is not a stable sorting algorithm because it can change the relative order of equal elements.

Correct Answer: C — Quick Sort

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Q. Which of the following sorting algorithms is stable?

A. Quick Sort
B. Heap Sort
C. Merge Sort
D. Selection Sort

Solution

Merge Sort is a stable sorting algorithm, meaning it maintains the relative order of equal elements.

Correct Answer: C — Merge Sort

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Q. Which of the following statements about AVL and Red-Black trees is true?

A. AVL trees are always faster than Red-Black trees
B. Red-Black trees are more memory efficient than AVL trees
C. AVL trees provide faster lookups than Red-Black trees
D. Both trees are equally efficient in all scenarios

Solution

AVL trees provide faster lookups than Red-Black trees due to their stricter balancing, but Red-Black trees are generally more efficient for insertions and deletions.

Correct Answer: C — AVL trees provide faster lookups than Red-Black trees

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Q. Which of the following statements about AVL trees is false?

A. They are a type of self-balancing binary search tree
B. They can become unbalanced after insertion
C. They require more rotations than Red-Black trees
D. They can have nodes with two children only

Solution

The statement that AVL trees can have nodes with two children only is false; they can have nodes with zero, one, or two children.

Correct Answer: D — They can have nodes with two children only

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Q. Which of the following statements about AVL trees is true?

A. They can become unbalanced after every insertion
B. They require more rotations than Red-Black trees
C. They are always perfectly balanced
D. They are faster for search operations than Red-Black trees

Solution

AVL trees can become unbalanced after every insertion, requiring rotations to restore balance, but they maintain a stricter balance than Red-Black trees.

Correct Answer: A — They can become unbalanced after every insertion

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Q. Which of the following statements about BFS and DFS is false?

A. BFS can find the shortest path in unweighted graphs
B. DFS can be more memory efficient than BFS
C. BFS uses a stack
D. DFS can be implemented recursively

Solution

BFS uses a queue, not a stack, which is a key difference from DFS.

Correct Answer: C — BFS uses a stack

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Q. Which of the following statements about BFS and DFS is true?

A. BFS is always faster than DFS
B. DFS can be more memory efficient than BFS
C. BFS can be used for topological sorting
D. DFS is used for finding the shortest path

Solution

DFS can be more memory efficient than BFS in certain scenarios, especially in deep graphs.

Correct Answer: B — DFS can be more memory efficient than BFS

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Q. Which of the following statements about BFS is true?

A. BFS can be implemented recursively.
B. BFS is not suitable for large graphs.
C. BFS guarantees the shortest path in weighted graphs.
D. BFS explores nodes level by level.

Solution

BFS explores nodes level by level, ensuring that all nodes at the present depth are explored before moving deeper.

Correct Answer: D — BFS explores nodes level by level.

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Q. Which of the following statements about binary search is false?

A. It can be implemented recursively
B. It requires a sorted array
C. It can be used on linked lists
D. It is faster than linear search

Solution

Binary search cannot be effectively used on linked lists due to their non-contiguous memory allocation, making it inefficient compared to arrays.

Correct Answer: C — It can be used on linked lists

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Q. Which of the following statements about binary search is true?

A. It can be used on linked lists
B. It requires the array to be sorted
C. It is always faster than linear search
D. It can find multiple occurrences of an element

Solution

Binary search requires the array to be sorted to function correctly.

Correct Answer: B — It requires the array to be sorted

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Data Structures & Algorithms

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