Data Structures and Algorithms: Interactive Learning Quizzes for Sixth Form Computer Science

Question 1

For efficient queue implementation, which data structure is most suitable?

Accepted Answer

Linked list

Answer

Stack

Answer

Tree

Answer

Graph

Question 2

In a binary search tree, locating an element has a time complexity of:

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 3

Primarily, what is the purpose of a hash table?

Accepted Answer

Storage of data in key-value pairs

Answer

Implementation of a queue

Answer

Representation of a graph

Answer

Execution of binary search

Question 4

What distinguishes a directed graph from an undirected graph?

Accepted Answer

Directed graphs possess edges with orientations, unlike undirected graphs

Answer

Directed graphs depict relationships, while undirected graphs depict objects

Answer

Undirected graphs allow multiple parents per node, unlike directed graphs

Answer

Directed and undirected graphs are essentially the same

Question 5

A Huffman code can be defined as:

Accepted Answer

A lossless data compression technique

Answer

A binary tree representing data

Answer

An efficient way to store strings

Answer

An algorithm for sorting data

Question 6

A key distinction between greedy algorithms and dynamic programming algorithms is:

Accepted Answer

Greedy algorithms prioritize local optimization, while dynamic programming algorithms seek global optimization

Answer

Greedy algorithms employ recursion, whereas dynamic programming algorithms utilize iteration

Answer

Greedy algorithms have a time complexity of O(n), while dynamic programming algorithms have a time complexity of O(n^2)

Answer

Greedy algorithms and dynamic programming algorithms are fundamentally similar

Question 7

Which data structure implements a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) behavior, where the last element added is the first one to be removed?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Tree

Question 8

Which queue implementation is efficient for both enqueue and dequeue operations, achieving a constant time complexity for both?

Accepted Answer

Array-based circular queue

Answer

Linked list-based queue

Answer

Priority queue

Answer

Deques

Question 9

When traversing a singly linked list, which traversal technique starts from the first node and visits each node in sequence?

Accepted Answer

Iterative traversal

Answer

Depth-first search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Recursive traversal

Question 10

Which data structure can effectively represent relationships between objects or entities?

Accepted Answer

Graph

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Hash table

Question 11

Which sorting algorithm recursively divides an array into smaller and smaller subarrays until each subarray contains only one element, and then merges the sorted subarrays back together?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Heap sort

Answer

Radix sort

Question 12

Which of the following is not a fundamental data structure?

Accepted Answer

Data type

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Graph

Question 13

A linked list is a data structure where data is stored in:

Accepted Answer

Nodes connected by pointers

Answer

Contiguous memory locations

Answer

Fixed-size blocks

Answer

Rows and columns

Question 14

Which algorithm is used for traversing a binary tree in a depth-first manner?

Accepted Answer

Depth-first search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Bellman-Ford algorithm

Question 15

A graph is a data structure that represents:

Accepted Answer

A collection of vertices connected by edges

Answer

A linear sequence of elements

Answer

A hierarchical structure

Answer

A tabular arrangement of data

Question 16

Which sorting algorithm has a worst-case time complexity of O(n^2)?

Accepted Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Heap sort

Question 17

A stack is a data structure that adheres to the:

Accepted Answer

Last-in, first-out (LIFO) principle

Answer

First-in, first-out (FIFO) principle

Answer

Random-in, random-out (RIRIO) principle

Answer

First-in, last-out (FILO) principle

Question 18

Which data structure is used to implement a priority queue efficiently?

Accepted Answer

Heap

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Hash table

Question 19

The time complexity of searching for an element in a balanced binary search tree is:

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n log n)

Question 20

A **linked list** is classified as a:

Accepted Answer

Linear data structure

Answer

Non-linear data structure

Answer

Tree data structure

Answer

Graph data structure

Question 21

A breadth-first search (BFS) on a graph has a time complexity of:

Accepted Answer

O(V + E)

Answer

O(V)

Answer

O(E)

Answer

O(V * E)

Question 22

Which algorithm utilizes the **dynamic programming** approach?

Accepted Answer

Calculating the Fibonacci sequence

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path

Answer

Merge sort algorithm

Answer

Binary search algorithm

Question 23

Which type of recursion does NOT exist?

Accepted Answer

Circular recursion

Answer

Direct recursion

Answer

Indirect recursion

Answer

Tail recursion

Question 24

In recursion, what is the purpose of the **base case**?

Accepted Answer

Terminates the recursive process.

Answer

Provides the initial value of the function.

Answer

Sets a maximum limit to the number of recursive calls.

Answer

Receives the input for the function.

Question 25

Which data structure is a linear arrangement of connected nodes where each node contains a value and a link to the next node?

Accepted Answer

Linked list

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Question 26

Which of the following is a fundamental property of stacks?

Accepted Answer

Last-in, first-out (LIFO)

Answer

First-in, first-out (FIFO)

Answer

Random access

Answer

Doubly linked

Question 27

For a balanced binary search tree, what is the time complexity of searching for an element?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 28

When performing graph traversal, which algorithm explores the graph by traversing each branch to its end before backtracking?

Accepted Answer

Depth-first search (DFS)

Answer

Breadth-first search (BFS)

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Kruskal's algorithm

Question 29

Which data structure is suitable for implementing a priority queue?

Accepted Answer

Heap

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Question 30

A queue follows the ______ principle, where elements are added at one end and removed from the other.

Accepted Answer

First-In, First-Out (FIFO)

Answer

Last-In, First-Out (LIFO)

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Depth-first search

Question 31

The inorder traversal of a binary search tree visits the nodes in ______ order.

Accepted Answer

Ascending

Answer

Descending

Answer

Random

Answer

Depth-first

Question 32

In a hash table, collisions are typically resolved using ______.

Accepted Answer

Linked lists

Answer

Arrays

Answer

Trees

Answer

Graphs

Question 33

Dijkstra's algorithm is a graph traversal algorithm used to find the ______ between two nodes.

Accepted Answer

Shortest path

Answer

Longest path

Answer

Minimum spanning tree

Answer

Eulerian path

Question 34

Hierarchical data is best represented using ______.

Accepted Answer

Trees

Answer

Arrays

Answer

Linked lists

Answer

Queues

Question 35

The operation that removes the top element from a stack is known as ______.

Accepted Answer

Pop

Answer

Push

Answer

Peek

Answer

Enqueue

Question 36

In a binary search algorithm, comparing the target value with the middle element of the array helps to ______.

Accepted Answer

Narrow down the search range

Answer

Determine if the target value is present

Answer

Calculate the index of the target value

Answer

Sort the array

Question 37

What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a balanced binary search tree?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 38

Which algorithm is employed to find the shortest path between two nodes in a graph?

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's Algorithm

Answer

Breadth-first Search

Answer

Depth-first Search

Answer

Prim's Algorithm

Question 39

What is the primary function of a sentinel node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

Marking the end of the list

Answer

Marking the beginning of the list

Answer

Storing additional data

Answer

Improving search efficiency

Question 40

Which sorting algorithm exhibits an average and worst-case time complexity of O(n^2)?

Accepted Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Answer

Heap Sort

Question 41

Which data structure is specifically designed for storing a collection of unique elements?

Accepted Answer

Hash table

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Question 42

What is the worst-case time complexity of searching for an element in a balanced binary search tree?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 43

Which traversal method visits the nodes of a binary tree in the following order: root, left subtree, right subtree?

Accepted Answer

Pre-order

Answer

In-order

Answer

Post-order

Answer

Breadth-first

Question 44

What differentiates directed graphs from undirected graphs?

Accepted Answer

Directed graphs contain edges with specified directions, whereas undirected graphs do not.

Answer

Undirected graphs allow cycles, whereas directed graphs do not.

Answer

Directed graphs represent hierarchical structures, while undirected graphs do not.

Answer

Undirected graphs are always connected, while directed graphs may not be.

Question 45

Which data structure prioritizes elements based on their associated key values?

Accepted Answer

Heap

Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked list

Question 46

What is the intended purpose of a skip list data structure?

Accepted Answer

Enhance search performance in sorted lists

Answer

Organize elements in a hierarchical structure

Answer

Manage concurrency issues in multithreaded environments

Answer

Represent sparse data sets

Question 47

Which algorithm efficiently finds the shortest path between two nodes in a weighted graph?

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Kruskal's algorithm

Answer

Prim's algorithm

Answer

Floyd-Warshall algorithm

Question 48

Describe Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path in a weighted graph. Discuss its steps, time complexity, and an application of the algorithm in the real world.

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm is a greedy algorithm that finds the shortest path by iteratively relaxing edges and updating distances.

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm is a dynamic programming algorithm that stores optimal solutions to subproblems and uses them to find the shortest path.

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm is a backtracking algorithm that explores all possible paths and finds the shortest one.

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm is a randomized algorithm that uses random sampling to find the shortest path.

Question 49

Which fundamental property distinguishes linked lists from other data structures?

Accepted Answer

Constant time insertion and deletion at any position within the list

Answer

Efficient random access (direct access to any element based on its index)

Answer

Dynamic memory allocation (nodes can be added or removed as needed)

Answer

Fixed size (the number of nodes in the list cannot be changed dynamically)

Question 50

Which data structure adheres to the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle, where the last element added is the first to be retrieved?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Tree

Answer

Graph

Question 51

To traverse a binary tree in a depth-first manner, which algorithm would you employ?

Accepted Answer

Depth-first search (DFS)

Answer

Breadth-first search (BFS)

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Floyd-Warshall algorithm

Question 52

When searching for an element in a balanced binary search tree, what is the time complexity?

Accepted Answer

O(log n) (logarithmic time)

Answer

O(1) (constant time)

Answer

O(n) (linear time)

Answer

O(n^2) (quadratic time)

Question 53

Which algorithm is specifically designed to find the shortest path between two vertices in a weighted graph?

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Prim's algorithm

Answer

Kruskal's algorithm

Answer

Floyd-Warshall algorithm

Question 54

When inserting an element into an unsorted linked list, what is the time complexity of the operation?

Accepted Answer

O(1) (constant time)

Answer

O(log n) (logarithmic time)

Answer

O(n) (linear time)

Answer

O(n^2) (quadratic time)

Question 55

Which of the following is a mutable data type in Java?

Accepted Answer

ArrayList

Answer

int

Answer

String

Answer

boolean

Question 56

Which of the following is the best data structure to use for storing a collection of unique elements?

Accepted Answer

Set

Answer

Map

Answer

Queue

Answer

List

Question 57

Which of the following is a recursive algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Factorial Calculation

Answer

Linear Search

Answer

Binary Search

Answer

Bubble Sort

Question 58

Which of the following is a dynamic programming algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Longest Common Subsequence

Answer

Prim's algorithm

Answer

Kruskal's algorithm

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Question 59

Which of the following is a tree data structure?

Accepted Answer

Binary Search Tree

Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Array

Question 60

Which of the following is a hashing algorithm?

Accepted Answer

MD5

Answer

AES

Answer

DES

Answer

RSA

Question 61

What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a balanced binary search tree?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Question 62

Which data structure implements the Last In First Out (LIFO) principle?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Question 63

What is the purpose of a hash function in a hash table?

Accepted Answer

To map keys to unique table indices

Answer

To prevent collisions in the table

Answer

To search for elements in constant time

Answer

To store data in sorted order

Question 64

Which of the following is a recursive algorithm for traversing a binary tree?

Accepted Answer

Depth-First Search (DFS)

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Breadth-First Search (BFS)