Algorithms

Question 1

What is an algorithm?

Answer 1

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure or set of rules designed to perform a specific task or solve a particular problem.

Question 2

Define a data structure.

Answer 2

A data structure is a way of organizing and storing data to perform operations efficiently.

Question 3

Explain the difference between an array and a linked list.

Answer 3

An array is a contiguous memory allocation for elements of the same type while a linked list is a data structure where elements are connected via pointers and can be non-contiguous in memory.

Question 4

What is a sorting algorithm?

Answer 4

A sorting algorithm arranges the elements of a list in a particular order such as ascending or descending.

Question 5

Define time complexity in the context of algorithms.

Answer 5

Time complexity measures the amount of time an algorithm takes to complete as a function of the size of the input.

Question 6

Explain the concept of recursion.

Answer 6

Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself in order to solve a smaller instance of the same problem.

Question 7

What is a hash table?

Answer 7

A hash table is a data structure that stores key-value pairs allowing efficient retrieval of values based on their associated keys.

Question 8

Define Big O notation.

Answer 8

Big O notation is used to describe the upper bound on the execution time of an algorithm in terms of its input size.

Question 9

Explain the purpose of a queue in data structures.

Answer 9

A queue is a data structure that follows the First In First Out (FIFO) principle where the first element added is the first to be removed.

Question 10

What is a binary search algorithm?

Answer 10

A binary search algorithm efficiently finds the position of a target value within a sorted array or list.