2021/22 past paper

Question 1

Which statement is NOT true about Pseudo-Code?
a) Can only represent certain algorithms
b) Language-independent
c) Mix of English + formal notation
d) Can compute computational complexity
e) All others correct

Answer 1

a) Pseudo-Code can represent ANY algorithm

Question 2

What is a primitive operation?
a) Steps to solve a problem
b) Basic computation (e.g. addition)
c) Single line of Java code
d) Anything in a flowchart
e) All correct

Answer 2

b) Basic computation

Question 3

Algorithm has T(n) = 13 + 55n⁴ + 3n² + 7n. Big-O is:
a) O(n)
b) O(n⁷)
c) O(n²)
d) O(13)
e) none

Answer 3

e) None → Correct Big-O is O(n⁴) (highest term dominates)

Question 4

Which sorting algorithm has best-case O(n log n)?
a) Radix
b) Monkey
c) Quick
d) Bubble
e) None

Answer 4

c) Quick Sort (best/average case is O(n log n); worst is O( n² ))

Question 5

Which sorting algorithm has worst-case O(n log n)?
a) Radix
b) Monkey
c) Quick
d) Bubble
e) None

Answer 5

e) None -> Merge Sort and Heap Sort have O( n log n) worst-case

Question 6

What is NOT part of Quick Sort?
a) Numeric input
b) Recursion
c) PivotTable
d) Input graph
e) All are part

Answer 6

d) Input graph -> Quick Sort uses array/lists, not graphs

Question 7

A Queue is known as:
a) LIFO
b) FIFO
c) FIDO
d) FILO

Answer 7

b) FIFO

Question 8

A Hash Table:
a) Has ENQEUE/DEQUEUE
b) Use in all algorithms
c) Maps key to value
d) Used in all sorting

Answer 8

c) Maps key to value

Question 9

OneMax fitness of 11000011
a) 8
b) 27
c) 95
d) 4

Answer 9

d) 4 -> count of 1s (bits 1,2,7,8)

Question 10

Small change to 11000011 could yield:
a) 11000010
b) 11000000
c) 10000001
d) 11111111

Answer 10

a) 11000010 -> flips one bit (e.g. last one)

Question 11

Issue with Tablu-Search Problem
a) Tablu list grows
b) Many runtime parameters
c) Large iterations
d) No global optimum guarantee

Answer 11

e) All correct -> common issues in metaheuristics

Question 12

Which are nature-inspired?
a) Particle Swarm
b) Evolutionary Programming
c) Genetic Algorithms
d) All

Answer 12

d) All

Question 13

GA heuristic
a) Stigmergy
b) Cooling rate
c) Hill climbing
d) Crossover

Answer 13

d) Crossover -> combines parent solutions

Question 14

ILS builds solutions by:
a) Population + selection
b) Simulating insects
c) Forbidding past moves
d) Perturbing local minima

Answer 14

d) Perturbing local minima 0 -> escape local optima

Question 15

Not a GA parameter?
a) Number of bits
b) Generations
c) Population size
d) Mutation probability
e) All

Answer 15

e) All are parameters