Which data structure is used for implementing a breadth-first search (BFS)?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which data structure is used for implementing a breadth-first search (BFS)?
Stack
Queue
Array
Linked List
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which data structure is used for implementing a breadth-first search (BFS)?
Step 1: Understand what breadth-first search (BFS) is. It is a way to explore nodes in a graph or tree level by level.
Step 2: Know that BFS starts at a root node and explores all its neighbors before moving on to the next level.
Step 3: Realize that to keep track of which nodes to explore next, we need a way to store these nodes temporarily.
Step 4: Learn that a queue is a data structure that works like a line, where the first item added is the first one to be removed (FIFO - First In, First Out).
Step 5: Conclude that a queue is used in BFS to hold the nodes that need to be explored next, allowing us to explore each level completely before moving deeper.