Coding Fundamentals and Logic Flashcards

Which of the following correctly defines recursion?

Answer: A function that calls itself to solve a smaller instance

Recursion is when a function calls itself with a smaller input, converging toward a base case.

What is the result of the bitwise AND operation: 12 & 10?

Answer: 8

12 = 1100₂ and 10 = 1010₂; AND gives 1000₂ = 8.

A stack currently holds [1, 2, 3] (3 is on top). After pop(), push(4), pop(), what is on top?

Answer: 2

pop() removes 3 → stack [1,2]; push(4) → [1,2,4]; pop() removes 4 → top is 2.

Which of the following is a valid reason to use a queue over a stack?

Answer: Print job scheduling

Print job scheduling uses FIFO ordering — the first job submitted is the first printed.

What is the output of this code snippet? def mystery(n): return n * (n + 1) // 2 print(mystery(4))

Answer: 10

mystery(4) = 4 * 5 // 2 = 20 // 2 = 10, the sum of integers 1 through 4.

Which of the following statements about immutable objects is correct?

Answer: Their state cannot be modified after creation

Immutable objects have a fixed state that cannot be altered after they are created.

What does short-circuit evaluation mean in logical expressions?

Answer: Evaluation stops as soon as the result is determined

Short-circuit evaluation stops at the first operand that determines the outcome, e.g., False AND X skips X.