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Unit-1 Short Answer Questions With Answers

The document provides a series of short answer questions related to data structures and algorithms, covering definitions, types, properties, and complexities. Key concepts include data structures, algorithms, data abstraction, time and space complexity, and asymptotic notations. It also discusses sorting techniques and their complexities, highlighting differences between linear and binary search.

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32 views2 pages

Unit-1 Short Answer Questions With Answers

The document provides a series of short answer questions related to data structures and algorithms, covering definitions, types, properties, and complexities. Key concepts include data structures, algorithms, data abstraction, time and space complexity, and asymptotic notations. It also discusses sorting techniques and their complexities, highlighting differences between linear and binary search.

Uploaded by

muthakanilikitha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit-1 Short Answer Questions

1. What is a data structure?


A data structure is a way of organizing and storing data to perform operations efficiently.
2. List out different types of data structures.
Some types of data structures include arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs.
3. Differentiate linear and non-linear data structures.
Linear data structures have elements arranged sequentially, like arrays and linked lists.
Non-linear structures have elements connected in a more complex manner, like trees and
graphs.
4. Define algorithm. Mention its properties.
An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem. Its properties include:
Correctness: The algorithm should give the right answer for every possible input.
Efficiency: It should be efficient, meaning it doesn't waste unnecessary time or effort.
Input: The algorithm takes some inputs. It works with these inputs to create the desired
output.
Output: The result the algorithm produces after following the steps.
Finiteness: The algorithm should have a clear endpoint. The algorithm should complete
its task after a set of steps without going on forever.
5. What is Data Abstraction?
Data abstraction is presenting essential features of an object while hiding unnecessary
details.
6. What is an abstract data type?
An Abstract Data Type (ADT) is a conceptual model that describes how data is organized
and what operations can be performed on that data. It's a way to define the behavior of a
data structure without specifying its implementation details. ADTs encapsulate data and
operations, providing a clear interface for using the data while hiding the internal
implementation details.
7. What do you mean by time complexity of an algorithm?
Time complexity measures the amount of computational time an algorithm takes with
respect to the size of the input.
8. What do you mean by space complexity of an algorithm?
Space complexity measures the amount of memory space an algorithm requires to execute
in relation to its input size.
9. Explain the meaning of worst-case analysis and best-case analysis with an example.
Worst-case analysis considers the maximum time an algorithm takes for any input. Best-
case analysis looks at the minimum time for any input. For example, in linear search, the
worst-case is when the element is at the end, and the best-case is when it's at the
beginning.
10. What are asymptotic notations?
Asymptotic notations (e.g., Big O, Omega, Theta) describe the upper and lower bounds of
an algorithm's time or space complexity in terms of input size.
11. List the advantages and disadvantages of linear search over binary search.
Linear search is simple and works on unsorted data but is less efficient than binary search,
which works on sorted data and is faster.
12. Give the time complexity of insertion sort.
The time complexity of insertion sort is O(n^2) in the worst case and O(n) in the best case.
The best case occurs when the input is an already sorted list.
13. Give the time complexity of selection sort.
The time complexity of selection sort is O(n^2) in both best and worst cases.
14. Determine the time complexity of the following code fragment.

#include <stdio.h>
void main()
{
int i, n = 8;
for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
printf("Hello World !!!\n");
}
}

For the above code, the time complexity is linear: O(n)


15. What is the difference between internal and external sorting techniques?
Internal sorting is for data that fits in main memory, while external sorting is for larger
datasets that need to be stored on external storage like hard disk.
16. What are Big-oh, Big Omega, and Big Theta Notations?
• Big O Notation (O-notation):
o Represents the upper bound or worst-case time complexity of an algorithm.
o It provides an upper limit on how long an algorithm will take to run as a
function of the input size.
• Big Omega Notation (Ω-notation):
o Represents the lower bound or best-case time complexity of an algorithm.
o It gives a lower limit on how quickly an algorithm can run as a function of the
input size.
• Big Theta Notation (Θ-notation):
o Represents both the upper and lower bounds or tight bounds of an algorithm's
time complexity.
o It provides a precise estimation of how the running time of an algorithm grows
with input size.

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