Data Structures and Algorithms Quizzes - Test Your Knowledge

Question 1

Which data structure operates exclusively on the last-in, first-out (LIFO) principle, where the most recently added element is retrieved first?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Tree

Question 2

To efficiently insert, delete, and retrieve elements, prioritizing those with higher values, which data structure is optimal?

Accepted Answer

Heap

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Hash Table

Question 3

Which data structure allows for efficient insertion and deletion of elements at any position?

Accepted Answer

Linked List

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Tree

Question 4

In a 'last-in, first-out' (LIFO) data structure, which element is accessed first?

Accepted Answer

The last element added

Answer

The first element added

Answer

A random element

Answer

The element with the highest value

Question 5

When searching for an element in a singly linked list of size n, what is the worst-case time complexity of a linear search?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 6

Which characteristic of a queue data structure is not beneficial for implementing a task scheduler?

Accepted Answer

Inability to prioritize tasks

Answer

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) order

Answer

Efficient insertion and deletion operations

Answer

Dynamic sizing

Question 7

Which of these data structures is non-linear?

Accepted Answer

Graph

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked List

Question 8

Which data structure stores elements in a specific order, allowing direct access to each element using its position?

Accepted Answer

Array

Answer

Tree

Answer

Graph

Answer

Hash Table

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental data structure in computer science?

Accepted Answer

Semaphore

Answer

Array

Answer

Hash table

Answer

Linked list

Question 10

Which data structure follows the 'First-In-First-Out' (FIFO) principle, where the first element added is the first element retrieved?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Stack

Question 11

Which data structure is non-linear, enabling hierarchical relationships between its elements?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Queue

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a standard time complexity notation used to describe the efficiency of algorithms?

Accepted Answer

n!

Answer

O(n)

Answer

Omega(n^2)

Answer

Theta(log(n))

Question 13

Which data structure is non-linear and composed of nodes and edges?

Accepted Answer

Graph

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Question 14

What is an advantage of using a linked list compared to an array?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic memory allocation

Answer

Faster element access

Answer

Improved cache locality

Question 15

Which data structure follows the Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) principle?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

LinkedList

Answer

Array

Question 16

An algorithm iterates through an array of n elements. What is the time complexity of this algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 17

What is a defining characteristic of a hash table data structure?

Accepted Answer

Enables efficient lookups using keys

Answer

Preserves the order of inserted elements

Answer

Stores data exclusively in a linear format

Question 18

Which data structure is ideal for modeling a complex network with interconnected nodes and edges?

Accepted Answer

Graph

Answer

Array

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked List

Question 19

Which sorting algorithm has a time complexity of O(n^2), where n represents the number of elements in the array to be sorted?

Accepted Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Answer

Heap Sort

Question 20

Which operations are supported by queue data structures?

Accepted Answer

Adding an element to the end of the queue

Accepted Answer

Removing an element from the front of the queue

Accepted Answer

Viewing the element at the front of the queue

Answer

Modifying the value of an element in the queue

Question 21

Which data structure is a sequential collection of elements that can be accessed directly using an index?

Accepted Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Tree

Question 22

What's the time complexity of a depth-first search (DFS) on a graph with n nodes and m edges?

Accepted Answer

O(n + m)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(m)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 23

In a graph data structure, which traversal technique is most effective for finding all possible paths from a given starting node to all other nodes in the graph?

Accepted Answer

Breadth-First Search (BFS)

Answer

Depth-First Search (DFS)

Answer

Dijkstra's Algorithm

Answer

A* Search Algorithm

Question 24

Which data structure is used to manage the execution of recursive function calls in programming languages?

Accepted Answer

Call Stack

Answer

Heap

Answer

Linked List

Question 25

In the context of binary tree data structures, which operation is NOT natively supported?

Accepted Answer

Sorting elements in ascending or descending order

Answer

Inserting nodes

Answer

Deleting nodes

Answer

Searching for specific nodes

Question 26

Which data structure is best suited for managing function calls and undo operations, which follow a last-in, first-out (LIFO) pattern?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked List

Question 27

A recursive function calculates the factorial of a number using the definition: f(n) = n * f(n-1), with the base case f(1) = 1. What's the time complexity of this function?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 28

In a singly linked list of size n, what's the worst-case time complexity for a linear search?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 29

Which data structure enables efficient storage of data elements in a sequential order, granting constant-time access to any element?

Accepted Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked List

Question 30

What is a primary drawback of using arrays compared to linked lists?

Accepted Answer

Limited ability to dynamically adjust size

Answer

Slower access to individual elements

Answer

Lower efficiency for implementing stacks and queues

Question 31

In a binary search tree, which technique can be used to find the element with the smallest value?

Accepted Answer

Traverse the leftmost path

Answer

Depth-first traversal

Answer

Breadth-first traversal

Question 32

What is the primary distinction between a stack and a queue data structure?

Accepted Answer

Stacks follow Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order, while queues follow First-In, First-Out (FIFO) order.

Answer

Stacks store only one data type, while queues can store multiple data types.

Answer

Stacks are always implemented using arrays, while queues are always implemented using linked lists.

Question 33

Which data structure follows the first-in-last-out (FILO) principle?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Array

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked List

Question 34

How does the choice of hash function influence the performance of a hash table?

Accepted Answer

It affects the distribution of elements, impacting efficiency (collision rate and search time) and effectiveness (retrieval ability).

Answer

It only affects efficiency, not effectiveness.

Answer

It has no impact on performance.

Answer

It determines the hash table size, which affects performance.

Question 35

A priority queue efficiently manages elements based on their priorities. Describe the underlying data structure and algorithm used in a priority queue.

Accepted Answer

Heap, with elements inserted based on priorities, highest priority at the root

Answer

Linked list, with elements inserted in ascending order of priorities

Answer

Array, with elements inserted in descending order of priorities

Answer

Binary search tree, with elements inserted based on priorities, highest priority at the leftmost node

Question 36

In perfectly balanced binary search trees, what's the time complexity for finding a specific element?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Question 37

What is the time complexity of a binary search in a sorted array of size n?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 38

Which data structure is best suited for implementing a first-in-first-out (FIFO) behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Array

Question 39

Which of the following algorithms is a recursive sorting algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Selection sort

Question 40

What is the property that distinguishes a directed graph from an undirected graph?

Accepted Answer

Edges in directed graphs have a defined direction, while edges in undirected graphs do not.

Answer

Directed graphs have weighted edges, while undirected graphs do not.

Answer

Undirected graphs have weighted edges, while directed graphs do not.

Answer

Directed graphs do not allow cycles, while undirected graphs do.

Question 41

Which of the following data structures can represent hierarchical data?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked List

Question 42

What is the purpose of a hash table?

Accepted Answer

To efficiently store and retrieve data based on a key

Answer

To sort data in ascending order

Answer

To store data in a specific order

Answer

To delete duplicate data items

Question 43

Which of the following is not a property of an abstract data type?

Accepted Answer

Implementation in a specific programming language

Answer

Encapsulation of data and operations

Answer

Focus on the logical structure of data

Answer

Independence of implementation details

Question 44

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

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 45

Which data structure is most appropriate for implementing a breadth-first search of a graph?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Array

Question 46

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

Accepted Answer

To mark the end of the list

Answer

To improve search efficiency

Answer

To prevent memory leaks

Answer

To simplify node insertion

Question 47

Which sorting algorithm has the best time complexity for sorting an array of n integers?

Accepted Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Merge sort

Question 48

What is the difference between a preorder and an inorder traversal of a binary tree?

Accepted Answer

Preorder visits the root first, while inorder visits the left subtree first

Answer

Inorder visits the root first, while preorder visits the right subtree first

Answer

Preorder visits all nodes in ascending order, while inorder visits all nodes in descending order

Answer

Inorder visits all nodes in ascending order, while preorder visits all nodes in descending order

Question 49

What is the worst-case time complexity of Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path in a graph with V vertices and E edges?

Accepted Answer

O(V^2)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(V+E)

Answer

O(E^V)

Question 50

Which technique is NOT used to resolve hash collisions in hash tables?

Accepted Answer

Sorting

Answer

Open addressing

Answer

Chaining

Question 51

Which data structure should be used to store items in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked list

Question 52

What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a linked list of size n?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(log n)

Question 53

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

Accepted Answer

Preorder

Answer

Inorder

Answer

Postorder

Answer

Level-order

Question 54

Differentiate between a complete binary tree and a full binary tree.

Accepted Answer

A complete binary tree has all levels filled, while a full binary tree may have empty leaves.

Answer

A full binary tree has all levels filled, while a complete binary tree may have empty subtrees.

Answer

A full binary tree has more nodes than a complete binary tree.

Answer

There is no distinction between a complete binary tree and a full binary tree.

Question 55

Determine the worst-case time complexity of the following algorithm: For each i from 1 to n: For each j from 1 to i: Print(j).

Accepted Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n log n)

Answer

O(2^n)

Question 56

Which graph traversal method finds the shortest path between two vertices?

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Depth-first search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Bellman-Ford algorithm

Question 57

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

Accepted Answer

To map a key to a unique index.

Answer

To arrange data in sorted order.

Answer

To minimize the time complexity of search operations.

Answer

To prevent collisions.

Question 58

Identify a potential disadvantage of recursion.

Accepted Answer

It may lead to stack overflow.

Answer

It is harder to understand and debug.

Answer

It is less efficient than iterative solutions.

Answer

It is not suitable for all types of problems.

Question 59

Which data structure is ideal for implementing a queue that supports both FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out) operations?

Accepted Answer

Deque

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Stack

Question 60

Define NP-completeness and explain its importance in computer science.

Accepted Answer

NP-completeness classifies problems based on their computational complexity, guiding algorithm design and analysis.

Answer

NP-completeness refers to problems that can be solved efficiently in polynomial time.

Answer

NP-completeness is a theoretical concept with no practical relevance in real-world computing.

Question 61

Which data structure adheres to the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Tree

Question 62

Complexity analysis of an algorithm typically evaluates its:

Accepted Answer

Time and space requirements

Answer

Memory usage exclusively

Answer

Efficiency and error handling capabilities

Answer

Input and output parameters

Question 63

Identify the option that is NOT a sorting algorithm:

Accepted Answer

Binary search

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Quick sort

Question 64

What is the time complexity of a linear search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)