Data Structures and Algorithms Quizzes for High School Seniors

Question 1

Which data structure is a linear collection of data elements where each element contains a value and a pointer to the next element?

Accepted Answer

Linked list

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Question 2

An algorithm with a time complexity of O(log n) is considered to be:

Accepted Answer

Logarithmic time

Answer

Linear time

Answer

Quadratic time

Answer

Exponential time

Question 3

A stack is a data structure that implements the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. Which of the following operations is used to add an element to the top of a stack?

Accepted Answer

Push

Answer

Pop

Answer

Enqueue

Answer

Dequeue

Question 4

The inorder traversal of a binary tree visits the nodes in which order?

Accepted Answer

Left, root, right

Answer

Root, left, right

Answer

Right, root, left

Question 5

Which of the following is a characteristic of a recursive algorithm?

Accepted Answer

It calls itself with a smaller version of the problem

Answer

It uses a loop to iterate through the problem

Answer

It runs in constant time

Answer

It requires a large amount of memory

Question 6

A graph is a data structure used to represent relationships between objects. Which of the following is NOT a type of graph?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Directed graph

Answer

Undirected graph

Answer

Weighted graph

Question 7

In the context of computer science, an algorithm refers to:

Accepted Answer

A finite set of well-defined instructions

Answer

A piece of hardware that performs calculations

Answer

A data structure that stores information

Answer

A programming language used to write code

Question 8

Which data structure efficiently stores elements in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) order?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Answer

Linked list

Question 9

Balanced binary search trees (BSTs) exhibit a time complexity of O(log n) for:

Accepted Answer

Searching

Answer

Insertion

Answer

Deletion

Answer

Traversal

Question 10

Which sorting algorithm is known for its efficiency, especially for large datasets?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Selection sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Question 11

Hash tables are primarily used for:

Accepted Answer

Rapid lookup of key-value pairs

Answer

Implementing stacks or queues

Answer

Performing efficient sorting

Answer

Facilitating binary search

Question 12

Inserting an element at the beginning of a linked list has a time complexity of:

Accepted Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 13

Singly linked lists differ from doubly linked lists in that:

Accepted Answer

Singly linked lists allow traversal in one direction, while doubly linked lists allow traversal in both directions

Answer

Doubly linked lists are more efficient for searching, while singly linked lists are more efficient for deletion

Answer

There is no difference between singly and doubly linked lists

Answer

Singly linked lists store data contiguously, while doubly linked lists store data non-contiguously

Question 14

For implementing a priority queue, the most suitable data structure is:

Accepted Answer

Heap

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Question 15

What is the primary purpose of using a stack data structure in the context of function calls?

Accepted Answer

To store the return addresses of function calls

Answer

To store the parameters of function calls

Answer

To store the local variables of function calls

Answer

To store the global variables of the program

Question 16

What is the fundamental difference between a queue and a stack data structure?

Accepted Answer

Queues follow a first-in-first-out (FIFO) order while stacks follow a last-in-first-out (LIFO) order

Answer

Queues are linear data structures while stacks are non-linear

Answer

Queues have a front and a rear end while stacks have a top and a bottom

Answer

Queues are typically implemented using arrays while stacks are typically implemented using linked lists

Question 17

What is the essence of the divide-and-conquer algorithm design paradigm?

Accepted Answer

Breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems, solving them recursively, and combining the solutions

Answer

Iterating through the entire problem space to find a solution

Answer

Using randomization to find a solution

Answer

Applying brute force to solve the problem

Question 18

What is the time complexity of traversing a linked list to search for a specific element?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 19

Which of the following data structures uses a recursive definition to organize data, where each node can contain subtrees?

Accepted Answer

Binary Search Tree

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Queue

Question 20

The main distinction between directed and undirected graphs lies in:

Accepted Answer

Directed graphs have edges with specified directions, while undirected graphs have bidirectional edges.

Answer

Undirected graphs have more edges than directed graphs.

Answer

Directed graphs are used to represent relationships between objects, while undirected graphs are used to represent objects themselves.

Answer

There is no fundamental difference between directed and undirected graphs.

Question 21

The primary role of a compiler in software development is to:

Accepted Answer

Convert human-readable source code into machine-executable instructions.

Answer

Design the user interface of the program.

Answer

Test the program for logical errors.

Answer

Store the program's data permanently.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental data structure in computer science?

Accepted Answer

Database

Answer

Array

Answer

Linked List

Answer

Tree

Question 23

What is the time complexity of searching an unsorted array of size n using linear search?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 24

Which sorting algorithm is known for its stability and ability to merge sorted sublists?

Accepted Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Heap sort

Question 25

What is the primary purpose of a binary tree data structure?

Accepted Answer

To store data hierarchically and facilitate efficient searching and retrieval

Answer

To perform complex mathematical operations

Answer

To manage memory allocation dynamically

Answer

To implement a priority queue

Question 26

Which data structure is best suited for implementing a last-in-first-out (LIFO) policy?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

Array

Answer

Queue

Answer

Linked list

Question 27

What is a key advantage of using a linked list compared to an array?

Accepted Answer

Efficient insertion and deletion of elements

Answer

Faster access to elements at any position

Answer

Smaller memory footprint

Answer

Preservation of the original order of elements

Question 28

What is the primary distinction between a greedy algorithm and a dynamic programming algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Greedy algorithms make locally optimal choices, while dynamic programming algorithms consider all possibilities

Answer

Greedy algorithms are always more efficient than dynamic programming algorithms

Answer

Dynamic programming algorithms are only suitable for optimization problems

Answer

Greedy algorithms always find the globally optimal solution

Question 29

In a hash table, what is the term for when multiple keys map to the same slot, and how can these conflicts be resolved?

Accepted Answer

Collisions can be resolved using either chaining or open addressing.

Answer

Collisions can be resolved using binary search trees.

Answer

Collisions can be resolved using merge sort.

Answer

Collisions can be resolved by increasing the size of the hash table.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using a linked list?

Accepted Answer

Fast random access

Answer

Dynamic memory allocation

Answer

Efficient insertion and deletion

Answer

Simple implementation

Question 31

What's the fundamental difference between a stack and a queue?

Accepted Answer

Stacks adhere to LIFO (Last-In-First-Out), while queues follow FIFO (First-In-First-Out)

Answer

Queues store elements temporarily, while stacks are used for permanent storage

Answer

Stacks have constant time complexity for push and pop operations, unlike queues

Answer

Stacks use linked lists, whereas queues use arrays for implementation

Question 32

Which search algorithm is optimal for finding an element in a balanced binary search tree?

Accepted Answer

Binary Search

Answer

Linear Search

Answer

Depth-First Search

Answer

Breadth-First Search

Question 33

What's the primary goal of recursion?

Accepted Answer

Solving complex problems by breaking them into smaller, similar problems

Answer

Optimizing code by eliminating loops

Answer

Creating dynamic data structures

Answer

Enhancing code readability

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT an area where data structures and algorithms find application?

Accepted Answer

Word processing

Answer

Database management

Answer

Operating systems

Answer

Artificial intelligence

Question 35

Which of the following is an undesirable property for a hash function used in hash tables?

Accepted Answer

Slow computation

Answer

Deterministic

Answer

Uniform distribution

Answer

Collision resistance

Question 36

When a queue is implemented using a linked list, what is the time complexity for adding or removing elements?

Accepted Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 37

Which of the following data structures is a linear collection of elements that can be accessed one after another in a sequential order?

Accepted Answer

Array

Answer

Hash table

Answer

Tree

Answer

Graph

Question 38

Which of the following algorithms is designed to efficiently search for a specific element in a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half?

Accepted Answer

Binary search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Depth-first search

Answer

Linear search

Question 39

Which of the following data structures is a collection of elements that supports the addition and removal of elements from either end (front or back) in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner?

Accepted Answer

Queue

Answer

Set

Answer

Stack

Answer

Map

Question 40

Which of the following sorting algorithms repeatedly compares adjacent elements and swaps them if they are out of order, continuing to iterate through the array until it is sorted in ascending order?

Accepted Answer

Bubble sort

Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Answer

Merge sort

Question 41

Which of the following data structures is used to store key-value pairs, allowing fast lookup based on the key?

Accepted Answer

Map

Answer

Stack

Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Question 42

Which of the following graph traversal algorithms traverses the graph by starting at a root vertex and recursively exploring each branch before backtracking?

Accepted Answer

Depth-first search

Answer

Breadth-first search

Answer

Binary search

Answer

Merge sort

Question 43

Which of the following data structures is commonly used to represent hierarchical relationships between elements, where each element can have multiple child elements?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Array

Question 44

Which of the following graph algorithms is designed to find the shortest path between two vertices in a weighted graph, where edges have assigned weights?

Accepted Answer

Dijkstra's algorithm

Answer

Kruskal's algorithm

Answer

Prim's algorithm

Question 45

Which of the following data structures is a collection of unique elements, and it does not allow duplicate values?

Accepted Answer

Set

Answer

Queue

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Question 46

Which of the following algorithms can be used to check if two strings are anagrams of each other by sorting the characters of both strings and comparing them?

Accepted Answer

Sorting

Answer

Binary search

Answer

Merge sort

Answer

Hashing