Which data structure would you use to implement a function that checks for balan
Practice Questions
Q1
Which data structure would you use to implement a function that checks for balanced parentheses in an expression?
Array
Stack
Queue
Linked List
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which data structure would you use to implement a function that checks for balanced parentheses in an expression?
Step 1: Understand what balanced parentheses mean. This means that every opening parenthesis '(' has a corresponding closing parenthesis ')', and they are in the correct order.
Step 2: Identify the data structure needed. A stack is a structure that follows Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle, which is perfect for this problem.
Step 3: When you encounter an opening parenthesis '(', push it onto the stack.
Step 4: When you encounter a closing parenthesis ')', check if the stack is empty. If it is empty, it means there is no matching opening parenthesis, so the expression is unbalanced.
Step 5: If the stack is not empty, pop the top element from the stack. This represents matching the closing parenthesis with the most recent opening parenthesis.
Step 6: After processing all characters in the expression, check the stack. If the stack is empty, it means all parentheses were matched and the expression is balanced. If not, it is unbalanced.
