B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering Algorithm Design and Analysis

Question 1

What does O(n log n) time complexity indicate about an algorithm?

Accepted Answer

The algorithm's runtime grows proportionally to n multiplied by the logarithm of n

Answer

O(n log n) means the running time scales with n × log(n), typical of efficient sorting algorithms like merge sort and heap sort.

Question 2

Which sorting algorithm has the best worst-case time complexity?

Accepted Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Merge Sort guarantees O(n log n) in the worst case by always dividing the array in half and merging sorted halves, unlike Quick Sort which degrades to O(n²).

Question 3

What data structure does Depth-First Search (DFS) use internally?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

DFS uses a stack (either explicitly or via the call stack in recursion) to explore as deep as possible before backtracking.

Question 4

Which algorithmic paradigm does dynamic programming primarily rely on?

Accepted Answer

Memoization or tabulation of overlapping subproblems

Answer

Dynamic programming solves problems by breaking them into overlapping subproblems and storing results (memoization or tabulation) to avoid redundant computation.

Question 5

What is the time complexity of binary search on a sorted array of n elements?

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

Binary search halves the search space with each comparison, giving O(log n) time complexity on a sorted array.

B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering Practice Test

B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering Practice Test

B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering Algorithm Design and Analysis