CPA Data Structures & Algorithms 2

Question 1

Which data structure uses LIFO (Last In, First Out) ordering?

Accepted Answer

Stack

Answer

A stack follows LIFO ordering where the last element pushed is the first one popped.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

O(log n)

Answer

Binary search halves the search space each step, yielding O(log n) worst-case time.

Question 3

In a singly linked list, inserting a node at the head takes how much time?

Accepted Answer

O(1)

Answer

Head insertion requires only pointer updates regardless of list length, so it is O(1).

Question 4

Which traversal of a binary search tree visits nodes in ascending sorted order?

Accepted Answer

In-order

Answer

In-order traversal (left → root → right) on a BST yields keys in ascending sorted order.

Question 5

What is the space complexity of merge sort?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

Merge sort requires O(n) auxiliary space for the temporary arrays used during merging.

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