DEPARTMENT OF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

DATA STRUCTURES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1) What is data structure?

Data structure refers to the way data is organized and manipulated. It seeks to
find ways to make data access more efficient. When dealing with the data
structure, we not only focus on one piece of data but the different set of data and
how they can relate to one another in an organized manner.

2) When is a binary search best applied?

A binary search is an algorithm that is best applied to search a list when the
elements are already in order or sorted. The list is searched starting in the middle,
such that if that middle value is not the target search key, it will check to see if it
will continue the search on the lower half of the list or the higher half. The split
and search will then continue in the same manner.

3) What is a linked list?

A linked list is a sequence of nodes in which each node is connected to the node
following it. This forms a chain-like link for data storage.

4) How do you reference all the elements in a one-dimension array?

To reference all the elements in a one -dimension array, you need to use an
indexed loop, So that, the counter runs from 0 to the array size minus one. In this
manner, You can reference all the elements in sequence by using the loop counter
as the array subscript.

5) In what areas do data structures are applied?

Data structures are essential in almost every aspect where data is involved. In
general, algorithms that involve efficient data structure is applied in the following
areas: numerical analysis, operating system, A.I., compiler design, database
management, graphics, and statistical analysis, to name a few.
6) What is LIFO?
LIFO is a short form of Last In First Out. It refers how data is accessed, stored
and retrieved. Using this scheme, data that was stored last should be the one to be
extracted first. This also means that in order to gain access to the first data, all the
other data that was stored before this first data must first be retrieved and
extracted.

7) What is a queue?
A queue is a data structure that can simulate a list or stream of data. In this
structure, new elements are inserted at one end, and existing elements are
removed from the other end.

8) What are binary trees?

A binary tree is one type of data structure that has two nodes, a left node, and a
right node. In programming, binary trees are an extension of the linked list
structures.

9) Which data structures are applied when dealing with a recursive

function?
Recursion, is a function that calls itself based on a terminating condition, makes
use of the stack. Using LIFO, a call to a recursive function saves the return
address so that it knows how to return to the calling function after the call
terminates.

10) What is a stack?

A stack is a data structure in which only the top element can be accessed. As data
is stored in the stack, each data is pushed downward, leaving the most recently
added data on top.

11) Explain Binary Search Tree

A binary search tree stores data in such a way that they can be retrieved very
efficiently. The left subtree contains nodes whose keys are less than the node’s
key value, while the right subtree contains nodes whose keys are greater than or
equal to the node’s key value. Moreover, both subtrees are also binary search
trees.

12) What are multidimensional arrays?

Multidimensional arrays make use of multiple indexes to store data. It is useful
when storing data that cannot be represented using single dimensional indexing,
such as data representation in a board game, tables with data stored in more than
one column.

13) Are linked lists considered linear or non-linear data structures?

It depends on where you intend to apply linked lists. If you based it on storage, a
linked list is considered non-linear. On the other hand, if you based it on access
strategies, then a linked list is considered linear.

14) How does dynamic memory allocation help in managing data?

Apart from being able to store simple structured data types, dynamic memory
allocation can combine separately allocated structured blocks to form composite
structures that expand and contract as needed.

15) What is FIFO?

FIFO stands for First-in, First-out, and is used to represent how data is accessed
in a queue. Data has been inserted into the queue list the longest is the one that is
removed first.

16) What is an ordered list?

An ordered list is a list in which each node’s position in the list is determined by
the value of its key component, so that the key values form an increasing
sequence, as the list is traversed.

17) What is merge sort?

Merge sort, is a divide-and-conquer approach for sorting the data. In a sequence
of data, adjacent ones are merged and sorted to create bigger sorted lists. These
sorted lists are then merged again to form an even bigger sorted list, which
continues until you have one single sorted list.

18) Differentiate NULL and VOID.

Null is a value, whereas Void is a data type identifier. A variable that is given a
Null value indicates an empty value. The void is used to identify pointers as
having no initial size.

19) What is the primary advantage of a linked list?

A linked list is an ideal data structure because it can be modified easily. This
means that editing a linked list works regardless of how many elements are in the
list.
20) What is the difference between a PUSH and a POP?
Pushing and popping applies to the way data is stored and retrieved in a stack. A
push denotes data being added to it, meaning data is being “pushed” into the stack.
On the other hand, a pop denotes data retrieval, and in particular, refers to the
topmost data being accessed.

21) What is a linear search?

A linear search refers to the way a target key is being searched in a sequential
data structure. In this method, each element in the list is checked and compared
against the target key. The process is repeated until found or if the end of the file
has been reached.

22) How does variable declaration affect memory allocation?

The amount of memory to be allocated or reserved would depend on the data type
of the variable being declared. For example, if a variable is declared to be of
integer type, then 32 bits of memory storage will be reserved for that variable.

23) What is the advantage of the heap over a stack?

The heap is more flexible than the stack. That’s because memory space for the
heap can be dynamically allocated and de-allocated as needed. However, the
memory of the heap can at times be slower when compared to that stack.

24) What is a postfix expression?

A postfix expression is an expression in which each operator follows its operands.
The advantage of this form is that there is no need to group sub-expressions in
parentheses or to consider operator precedence.

25) What is Data abstraction?

Data abstraction is a powerful tool for breaking down complex data problems into
manageable chunks. This is applied by initially specifying the data objects
involved and the operations to be performed on these data objects without being
overly concerned with how the data objects will be represented and stored in
memory.

26) How do you insert a new item in a binary search tree?

Assuming that the data to be inserted is a unique value (that is, not an existing
entry in the tree), check first if the tree is empty. If it’s empty, just insert the new
item in the root node. If it’s not empty, refer to the new item’s key. If it’s smaller
than the root’s key, insert it into the root’s left subtree, otherwise, insert it into
the root’s right subtree.
27) How does a selection sort work for an array?
The selection sort is a fairly intuitive sorting algorithm, though not necessarily
efficient. In this process, the smallest element is first located and switched with
the element at subscript zero, thereby placing the smallest element in the first
position.
The smallest element remaining in the subarray is then located next to subscripts
1 through n-1 and switched with the element at subscript 1, thereby placing the
second smallest element in the second position. The steps are repeated in the same
manner till the last element.

28) How do signed and unsigned numbers affect memory?

In the case of signed numbers, the first bit is used to indicate whether positive or
negative, which leaves you with one bit short. With unsigned numbers, you have
all bits available for that number. The effect is best seen in the number range
(an unsigned 8-bit number has a range 0-255, while the 8-bit signed number has
a range -128 to +127.

29) What is the minimum number of nodes that a binary tree can have?
A binary tree can have a minimum of zero nodes, which occurs when the nodes
have NULL values. Furthermore, a binary tree can also have 1 or 2 nodes.

30) What are dynamic data structures?

Dynamic data structures are structures that expand and contract as a program
runs. It provides a flexible means of manipulating data because it can adjust
according to the size of the data.

31) In what data structures are pointers applied?

Pointers that are used in linked list have various applications in the data structure.
Data structures that make use of this concept include the Stack, Queue, Linked
List and Binary Tree.

32) Do all declaration statements result in a fixed reservation in memory?

Most declarations do, with the exemption of pointers. Pointer declaration does
not allocate memory for data, but for the address of the pointer variable. Actual
memory allocation for the data comes during run-time.

33) What are ARRAYs?

When dealing with arrays, data is stored and retrieved using an index that refers
to the element number in the data sequence. This means that data can be accessed
in any order. In programming, an array is declared as a variable having a number
of indexed elements.

34) What is the minimum number of queues needed when implementing a

priority queue?
The minimum number of queues needed in this case is two. One queue is intended
for sorting priorities while the other queue is used for actual storage of data.

35) Which sorting algorithm is considered the fastest?

There are many types of sorting algorithms: quick sort, bubble sort, balloon sort,
radix sort, merge sort, etc. Not one can be considered the fastest because each
algorithm is designed for a particular data structure and data set. It would depend
on the data set that you would want to sort.

36) Differentiate STACK from ARRAY.

Stack follows a LIFO pattern. It means that data access follows a sequence
wherein the last data to be stored when the first one to be extracted. Arrays, on
the other hand, does not follow a particular order and instead can be accessed by
referring to the indexed element within the array.

37) Give a basic algorithm for searching a binary search tree.

1.if the tree is empty, then the target is not in the tree, end search
2. if the tree is not empty, the target is in the tree
3. check if the target is in the root item
4. if a target is not in the root item, check if a target is smaller than the root’s
value
5. if a target is smaller than the root’s value, search the left subtree
6. else, search the right subtree

38) What is a dequeue?

A dequeue is a double-ended queue. This is a structure wherein elements can be
inserted or removed from either end.

39) What is a bubble sort and how do you perform it?

A bubble sort is one sorting technique that can be applied to data structures such
as an array. It works by comparing adjacent elements and exchanges their values
if they are out of order. This method lets the smaller values “bubble” to the top
of the list, while the larger value sinks to the bottom.

40) What are the parts of a linked list?

A linked list typically has two parts: the head and the tail. Between the head and
tail lie the actual nodes. All these nodes are linked sequentially.

41) How does selection sort work?

Selection sort works by picking the smallest number from the list and placing it
at the front. This process is repeated for the second position towards the end of
the list. It is the simplest sort algorithm.

42) What is a graph?

A graph is one type of data structure that contains a set of ordered pairs. These
ordered pairs are also referred to as edges or arcs and are used to connect nodes
where data can be stored and retrieved.

43) Differentiate linear from a nonlinear data structure.

The linear data structure is a structure wherein data elements are adjacent to each
other. Examples of linear data structure include arrays, linked lists, stacks, and
queues. On the other hand, a non-linear data structure is a structure wherein each
data element can connect to more than two adjacent data elements. Examples of
nonlinear data structure include trees and graphs.

44) What is an AVL tree?

An AVL tree is a type of binary search tree that is always in a state of partially
balanced. The balance is measured as a difference between the heights of the
subtrees from the root. This self-balancing tree was known to be the first data
structure to be designed as such.

45) What are doubly linked lists?

Doubly linked lists are a special type of linked list wherein traversal across the
data elements can be done in both directions. This is made possible by having
two links in every node, one that links to the next node and another one that
connects to the previous node.

46) What is Huffman’s algorithm?

Huffman’s algorithm is used for creating extended binary trees that have
minimum weighted path lengths from the given weights. It makes use of a table
that contains the frequency of occurrence for each data element.
47) What is Fibonacci search?
Fibonacci search is a search algorithm that applies to a sorted array. It makes use
of a divide-and-conquer approach that can significantly reduce the time needed
in order to reach the target element.

48) Briefly explain recursive algorithm.

Recursive algorithm targets a problem by dividing it into smaller, manageable
sub-problems. The output of one recursion after processing one sub-problem
becomes the input to the next recursive process.

50) How do you search for a target key in a linked list?

To find the target key in a linked list, you have to apply sequential search. Each
node is traversed and compared with the target key, and if it is different, then it
follows the link to the next node. This traversal continues until either the target
key is found or if the last node is reached.

51) Which data structures are used for BFS and DFS of a graph?

BFS (Breadth-First Search) and DFS (Depth-First Search) are graph traversal
algorithms. BFS visits vertices in a breadth-wise fashion, exploring all vertices at
the same level before moving to the next level, using a queue to maintain the
order. DFS explores vertices in a depth-wise manner, going as deep as possible
before backtracking, utilizing a stack to track visited vertices. The choice between
BFS and DFS depends on the problem and graph characteristics, with BFS
suitable for shortest path and uniform edge weight scenarios, while DFS is useful
for exploring deeply and searching for paths.

52) How to implement a stack using queue?

To implement a stack using a queue, create two instances of the queue: the "main
Queue" and "helper Queue." For pushing an element, enqueue it into the main
Queue and if there are elements in the helper Queue, dequeue them and enqueue
into the main Queue. Then swap the names of the main Queue and helper Queue.
To pop an element, dequeue from the main Queue. To access the top element,
return the front element of the main Queue without dequeuing it. This approach
ensures that the most recently pushed element is always at the front of the main
Queue, simulating the behaviour of a stack.

52) How to implement a queue using stack?

To implement a queue using a stack, create two stacks: the "mainStack" and
"helperStack." For enqueueing an element, push it onto the mainStack. To
dequeue an element, if both stacks are empty, indicate an empty queue error. If
the helperStack is empty, transfer all elements from the mainStack to the
helperStack by popping from mainStack and pushing into helperStack until
mainStack is empty. Then, pop and return the top element from the helperStack.
This approach ensures that the oldest enqueued element is at the top of the
helperStack, simulating the behavior of a queue. Enqueueing takes O(1) time
complexity, and dequeueing takes amortized O(1) time complexity.