What is the primary advantage of using a stack for expression evaluation?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary advantage of using a stack for expression evaluation?
Easy to implement
Handles parentheses correctly
Faster than queues
Uses less memory
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary advantage of using a stack for expression evaluation?
Step 1: Understand what a stack is. A stack is a data structure that works like a stack of plates, where you can only add or remove the top plate.
Step 2: Know that in expression evaluation, we often have parentheses and different operators (like +, -, *, /) that need to be handled in a specific order.
Step 3: Realize that stacks help keep track of these parentheses. When you see an opening parenthesis '(', you push it onto the stack, and when you see a closing parenthesis ')', you pop from the stack.
Step 4: Understand operator precedence. Some operators are more important than others (for example, multiplication is more important than addition). Stacks help manage this by allowing you to push operators onto the stack and pop them off in the correct order based on their precedence.
Step 5: Conclude that using a stack allows for correct handling of both parentheses and operator precedence, making expression evaluation accurate.
