Data Structures & Algorithms Flashcards

When Informatica Cloud caches lookup data in memory, which collision resolution strategy is most commonly used in the underlying hash table?

Answer: Open addressing with linear probing

Open addressing with linear probing resolves hash collisions by scanning sequentially for the next open slot, keeping data in contiguous memory.

What is the time complexity of inserting a new record into a balanced binary search tree used for sorted output in an Informatica transformation?

Answer: O(log n)

A balanced BST maintains height O(log n), so each insertion requires at most O(log n) comparisons to find the correct position.

In Informatica Cloud, an expression transformation processes each row independently. This row-level operation is analogous to which algorithmic paradigm?

Answer: Map (apply a function to each element)

Applying a transformation expression to each row independently mirrors the map paradigm, which applies a function element-by-element without aggregation.

Which property of a linked list makes it more suitable than an array for Informatica Cloud dynamic schema mappings where columns are added at runtime?

Answer: O(1) insertion without shifting elements

Linked lists allow O(1) insertion at any position without shifting elements, unlike arrays that require O(n) shifting when inserting mid-sequence.

An Informatica Cloud aggregator transformation must compute the median of a streaming dataset. Which pair of data structures achieves O(log n) insert and O(1) median retrieval?

Answer: Max-heap and min-heap

Maintaining a max-heap for the lower half and a min-heap for the upper half allows O(log n) insertion and O(1) median access via the tops of each heap.

What algorithmic technique does Informatica Cloud use when a joiner transformation processes two sorted inputs instead of caching one entirely in memory?

Answer: Merge (two-pointer merge of sorted arrays)

A sort-merge join uses two pointers advancing through both sorted inputs simultaneously, joining matching rows in O(n + m) time without full caching.

In Informatica Cloud, a pipeline with n transformation stages where each stage depends on the previous one has which scheduling complexity?

Answer: O(n) — stages execute sequentially

A strictly sequential dependency chain means each of the n stages must complete before the next begins, resulting in O(n) total scheduling steps.