Data Representation and Algorithms: Master the Fundamentals of Data and Algorithms

Question 1

What is the time complexity of the bubble sort algorithm on a list of n elements?

Accepted Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n log n)

Answer

O(log n)

Question 2

What is the fundamental difference between a stack and a queue data structure?

Accepted Answer

Stacks follow a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) approach, while queues follow a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) approach

Answer

Queues follow a LIFO approach, while stacks follow a FIFO approach

Answer

Stacks are primarily used for function calls, while queues are used for message passing

Answer

There is no significant difference between stacks and queues

Question 3

What is the primary function of a compiler in computer science?

Accepted Answer

To translate high-level programming code into low-level machine code

Answer

To interpret code line by line during execution

Answer

To manage memory allocation for programs

Answer

To provide a graphical user interface for programming

Question 4

Which of the following sorting algorithms exhibits the optimal average-case time complexity for an array of 'n' elements?

Accepted Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Insertion Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Question 5

For an array of 'n' elements, what is the time complexity of the binary search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n log n)

Answer

O(2^n)

Question 6

Which data structure is most appropriate for managing a list involving frequent insertions and deletions?

Accepted Answer

Linked List

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Question 7

What is the primary function of a stack data structure?

Accepted Answer

Data storage in Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order

Answer

Data storage in First-In, First-Out (FIFO) order

Answer

Efficient insertions and deletions at either end

Answer

Random access to any element

Question 8

What is the role of a preprocessor in programming languages?

Accepted Answer

Code processing prior to compilation

Answer

Executable code generation

Answer

Syntax error checking

Answer

Code optimization

Question 9

What is the time complexity of a linear search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 10

What is the key benefit of using a linked list data structure?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic and adaptable data storage.

Answer

Efficient access to data at specific positions.

Answer

Sorting data efficiently.

Answer

Searching data using a binary search algorithm.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a valid hexadecimal digit?:

Accepted Answer

M

Answer

0

Answer

1

Answer

A

Question 12

Which of the following sorting algorithms would you select for a nearly sorted list?

Accepted Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Quick sort

Question 13

Which data structure is most appropriate for efficiently representing a set of unique elements?

Accepted Answer

Hash table

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

To uniformly distribute elements across the table

Answer

To sort the elements in the table

Answer

To search for elements in the table efficiently

Answer

To delete elements from the table efficiently

Question 15

Which binary representation corresponds to the decimal number 13?

Accepted Answer

1101

Answer

1111

Answer

1011

Answer

1001

Question 16

Identify the sorting algorithm with a time complexity of O(n^2).

Accepted Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Answer

Heap Sort

Question 17

Which data structure exhibits a recursive nature?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Question 18

Which attribute is a key characteristic of greedy algorithms?

Accepted Answer

Efficiency and simplicity in implementation

Answer

Finding the overall best solution

Answer

Needing all problem details upfront

Question 19

In a recursive function that calculates the factorial of a number, what action does the function perform?

Accepted Answer

Calls itself with a smaller version of the problem and multiplies the result by the original number.

Answer

Calls itself with a larger version of the problem and subtracts the result from the original number.

Answer

Calls itself repeatedly with the same number, decrementing it by 1 each time until it reaches 0.

Answer

Calls itself with a random number and adds the result to the original number.

Question 20

Which of the following is the correct binary representation of the number 10?

Accepted Answer

1010

Answer

1011

Answer

1100

Answer

1111

Question 21

Which search algorithm would be most appropriate for efficiently finding an element in a sorted array?

Accepted Answer

Binary Search

Answer

Linear Search

Answer

Breadth-First Search

Answer

Depth-First Search

Question 22

What is the time complexity of the bubble sort algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n log n)

Answer

O(1)

Question 23

Which data structure is most commonly used to implement a queue?

Accepted Answer

Linked List

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Hash Table

Question 24

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

Accepted Answer

To generate a unique key for each element stored in the table.

Answer

To store data in a specific order.

Answer

To search for an element in the table.

Answer

To sort the elements in the table.

Question 25

In C, what is the key difference between a variable and a constant?

Accepted Answer

A variable can be modified, while a constant cannot.

Answer

A constant can be modified, while a variable cannot.

Answer

There is no difference between a variable and a constant in C.

Answer

A variable is a pointer, while a constant is a value.

Question 26

Which of the following is a valid C code snippet to print "Hello, world!" to the console?

Accepted Answer

printf('Hello, world!');

Answer

cout << 'Hello, world!';

Answer

System.out.println('Hello, world!');

Answer

print('Hello, world!');

Question 27

Which Python code snippet below creates a dictionary with keys 'a', 'b', and 'c', and assigns the values 1, 2, and 3, respectively?

Accepted Answer

my_dict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'c': 3}

Answer

my_dict = {('a', 'b', 'c'): (1, 2, 3)}

Answer

my_dict = {('a', 'b', 'c'): 1, 2, 3}

Answer

my_dict = {'a', 'b', 'c'} = (1, 2, 3)

Question 28

What is the time complexity of a linear search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 29

Which of the following is a divide-and-conquer algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Linear search

Answer

Binary search

Question 30

What is the difference between a shallow copy and a deep copy?

Accepted Answer

A shallow copy copies the reference to the object, while a deep copy copies the actual object.

Answer

A deep copy copies the reference to the object, while a shallow copy copies the actual object.

Answer

There is no difference between a shallow copy and a deep copy.

Answer

A shallow copy is always more efficient than a deep copy.

Question 31

Convert the binary number 11001010 to its hexadecimal equivalent:

Accepted Answer

C2

Answer

D4

Answer

E6

Answer

F8

Question 32

Which time complexity is represented by O(n log n)?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Linear search

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Selection sort

Question 33

Explain the fundamental difference between a stack and a queue.

Accepted Answer

Stacks adhere to LIFO (Last In, First Out), while queues follow FIFO (First In, First Out).

Answer

Stacks follow FIFO (First In, First Out), while queues adhere to LIFO (Last In, First Out).

Answer

Both stacks and queues follow LIFO (Last In, First Out).

Answer

Both stacks and queues follow FIFO (First In, First Out).

Question 34

Identify the option that is NOT a sorting algorithm:

Accepted Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Merge sort

Question 35

Define the primary function of a hash function:

Accepted Answer

Assigning a unique identifier to each element in a data set

Answer

Reducing a large data set to a smaller size

Answer

Arranging a data set in ascending order

Answer

Searching for specific elements within a data set

Question 36

Distinguish between directed and undirected graphs:

Accepted Answer

Directed graphs have directional edges, unlike undirected graphs.

Answer

Undirected graphs have directional edges, unlike directed graphs.

Answer

Directed graphs permit only one edge between two nodes, while undirected graphs allow multiple edges between nodes.

Answer

Undirected graphs permit only one edge between two nodes, while directed graphs allow multiple edges between nodes.

Question 37

Describe the primary role of a compiler:

Accepted Answer

Translating high-level code into low-level code

Answer

Executing high-level code directly

Answer

Debugging high-level code

Answer

Optimizing high-level code

Question 38

Which of the following sorting algorithms has a time complexity of O(n^2)?

Accepted Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quicksort

Answer

Heap Sort

Question 39

What is the best-case time complexity of a binary search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 40

Which of the following is a data structure that uses a last-in-first-out (LIFO) approach?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Question 41

What is the purpose of a hash function?

Accepted Answer

To generate a unique key for a given data item

Answer

To store data in a sorted order

Answer

To perform binary search

Answer

To sort data in descending order

Question 42

What is the base case for a recursive algorithm?

Accepted Answer

The condition that stops the recursion

Answer

The initial condition that starts the recursion

Answer

The condition that determines the recursion depth

Answer

The condition that evaluates the recursive call

Question 43

Which of the following is an example of a dynamic programming algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Floyd-Warshall algorithm

Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Depth-first search

Question 44

What is the main advantage of using a greedy algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Simplicity and ease of implementation

Answer

Guaranteed optimal solution

Answer

Fast computation time

Answer

Robustness to input changes

Question 45

Distinguish between time complexity and space complexity in algorithms.

Accepted Answer

Time complexity measures execution time, while space complexity measures memory usage.

Answer

Time complexity measures memory usage, while space complexity measures execution time.

Answer

Time complexity measures steps, while space complexity measures bits.

Answer

Time complexity measures bits, while space complexity measures steps.

Question 46

Which binary representation corresponds to the decimal number 13?

Accepted Answer

1101

Answer

0110

Answer

1011

Answer

0011

Question 47

What is the primary purpose of a binary search tree (BST)?

Accepted Answer

Searching and retrieving data efficiently

Answer

Storing data in a hierarchical structure

Answer

Sorting data in ascending or descending order

Answer

Performing mathematical operations on data

Question 48

What is the worst-case time complexity of a linear search algorithm?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 49

What is the worst-case time complexity of a linear search in a list of size n?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 50

Which of the following sorting algorithms is known for its stability, meaning it maintains the original order of equal elements?

Accepted Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Answer

Heap Sort

Answer

Bubble Sort

Question 51

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

Accepted Answer

To map a key to a unique integer, allowing fast retrieval based on the key

Answer

To store data in a sorted order

Answer

To perform mathematical operations on data

Answer

To search for data efficiently

Question 52

Which of the following is a valid variable name in Java, considering standard naming conventions?

Accepted Answer

_myVariable

Answer

1number

Answer

public

Answer

function()

Question 53

What is the fundamental difference between a compiler and an interpreter in the context of programming languages?

Accepted Answer

A compiler translates code into machine language all at once, while an interpreter executes it line by line.

Answer

An interpreter translates code into machine language all at once, while a compiler executes it line by line.

Answer

Both compilers and interpreters translate code into machine language all at once.

Answer

Both compilers and interpreters execute code line by line.

Question 54

What is the primary purpose of a class in object-oriented programming?

Accepted Answer

To define a blueprint for creating objects, encapsulating data and methods related to those objects

Answer

To store data related to objects

Answer

To implement functionality for objects

Answer

To manage the relationships between objects

Question 55

Which of the following is **not** a valid hexadecimal digit?

Accepted Answer

G

Answer

0

Answer

9

Answer

A

Question 56

Which of the following sorting algorithms operates by repeatedly comparing and swapping adjacent elements?

Accepted Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Selection sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Merge sort

Question 57

What is the time complexity of bubble sort for an array of size n in the **best case**?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(n^3)

Question 58

Which of the following is a technique for searching a **sorted** array?

Accepted Answer

Binary search

Answer

Linear search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Depth-first search

Question 59

What is the key difference between a linked list and an array?

Accepted Answer

A linked list can be inserted and deleted from any position, while an array cannot

Answer

An array can be accessed randomly, while a linked list cannot

Answer

A linked list is more efficient than an array for large datasets

Answer

A linked list is a type of array

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT a valid hexadecimal digit?

Accepted Answer

Z

Answer

0

Answer

9

Answer

A

Question 61

Convert the decimal number 23 to binary.

Accepted Answer

10111

Answer

11011

Answer

11101

Answer

11111

Question 62

What is the key difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

Accepted Answer

A compiler translates high-level code into machine code all at once, while an interpreter executes it line by line.

Answer

A compiler is faster than an interpreter.

Answer

An interpreter requires a runtime environment, while a compiler does not.

Question 63

What is the purpose of the break statement in a loop?

Accepted Answer

To exit the loop immediately

Answer

To continue to the next iteration of the loop

Answer

To stop the program from executing

Question 64

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

Accepted Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Answer

Radix Sort