DSA Basics

What does DSA stand for?

• Dynamic System Analysis

• Data Structures and Algorithms

• Digital Security Agency

• Data Science Association

What is the time complexity of linear search?

• O(n)

• O(n^2)

• O(log n)

• O(1)

Explain the concept of Big O notation.

• Big O notation is a programming language

• Big O notation is only applicable to sorting algorithms

• Big O notation is a mathematical notation that describes the limiting behavior of a function when the argument tends towards a particular value or infinity.

• Big O notation is used to calculate the size of an object in memory

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

• Arrays and linked lists have the same performance characteristics

• In summary, the main difference is that arrays provide fast random access while linked lists offer efficient insertion and deletion.

• Linked lists provide fast random access while arrays offer efficient insertion and deletion

• Arrays are slower than linked lists for insertion and deletion operations

What is a stack and how is it implemented?

• A stack is a data structure that follows the Last In, Last Out (LILO) principle. It can be implemented using stacks or heaps.

• A stack is a data structure that follows the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle. It can be implemented using arrays or linked lists.

• A stack is a data structure that follows the First In, First Out (FIFO) principle. It can be implemented using arrays or linked lists.

• A stack is a data structure that follows the First In, Last Out (FILO) principle. It can be implemented using queues or trees.

How does a queue differ from a stack?

• A queue differs from a stack in that it allows random access, while a stack only allows sequential access.

• A queue differs from a stack in that it is unbounded, while a stack has a fixed size.

• A queue differs from a stack in that it follows the FIFO principle, while a stack follows the LIFO principle.

• A queue differs from a stack in that it is implemented using arrays, while a stack is implemented using linked lists.

What is the purpose of binary search?

• To randomly shuffle the elements in the array

• To find the maximum value in the array

• To sort the array in descending order

• The purpose of binary search is to efficiently find a target value within a sorted array.

Explain the concept of recursion.

• Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls another function to solve a problem.

• Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself in order to solve smaller instances of the same problem until a base case is reached.

• Recursion is a method where a function calls external libraries to solve complex tasks.

• Recursion involves using loops to iterate through a problem until a solution is found.

What is the difference between breadth-first search and depth-first search?

• They both use the same algorithm internally

• Depth-first search is faster than breadth-first search

• Breadth-first search always finds the shortest path

• The main difference is in the order in which nodes are visited and explored.

How is a hash table used in data structures?

• A hash table is used to store key-value pairs efficiently by using a hash function to compute indexes for quick access.

• A hash table is used to perform complex mathematical calculations on data.

• A hash table is used to store data in a sequential manner.

• A hash table is used to sort data in ascending order based on keys.