Top 50 Data Structures Interview RECENT

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Data structure refers to the way data is organized Top 70

and manipulated. It seeks to find ways to make data Spring Boot
access more efficient. When dealing with the data Interview

structure, we not only focus on one piece of data Questions &

Answers
but the different set of data and how they can relate
to one another in an organized manner.

2) Differentiate between file and structure storage

structure.

The key difference between both the data structure

is the memory area that is being accessed. When
dealing with the structure that resides the main
memory of the computer system, this is referred to
as storage structure. When dealing with an auxiliary
structure, we refer to it as file structures.

3) When is a binary search best applied?

A binary search is an algorithm that is best applied

to search a list when the elements are already in
order or sorted. The list is searched starting in the
middle, such that if that middle value is not the
target search key, it will check to see if it will
continue the search on the lower half of the list or
the higher half. The split and search will then
continue in the same manner.

4) What is a linked list?

A linked list is a sequence of nodes in which each

node is connected to the node following it. This
forms a chain-like link for data storage.

5) How do you reference all the elements in a one-

dimension array?

To reference all the elements in a one -dimension

array, you need to use an indexed loop, So that, the
counter runs from 0 to the array size minus one. In
this manner, You can reference all the elements in
sequence by using the loop counter as the array
subscript.

6) In what areas do data structures are applied?

Data structures are essential in almost every aspect

where data is involved. In general, algorithms that
involve efficient data structure is applied in the
following areas: numerical analysis, operating
system, A.I., compiler design, database
management, graphics, and statistical analysis, to
name a few.
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7) What is LIFO?

LIFO is a short form of Last In First Out. It refers how

data is accessed, stored and retrieved. Using this
scheme, data that was stored last should be the one
to be extracted first. This also means that in order to
gain access to the first data, all the other data that
was stored before this first data must first be
retrieved and extracted.

8 ) What is a queue?

A queue is a data structure that can simulate a list or

stream of data. In this structure, new elements are
inserted at one end, and existing elements are
removed from the other end.

9) What are binary trees?

A binary tree is one type of data structure that has

two nodes, a left node, and a right node. In
programming, binary trees are an extension of the
linked list structures.

10) Which data structures are applied when

dealing with a recursive function?

Recursion, is a function that calls itself based on a

terminating condition, makes use of the stack. Using
LIFO, a call to a recursive function saves the return
address so that it knows how to return to the calling
function after the call terminates.

11) What is a stack?

A stack is a data structure in which only the top

element can be accessed. As data is stored in the
stack, each data is pushed downward, leaving the
most recently added data on top.

12) Explain Binary Search Tree

A binary search tree stores data in such a way that

they can be retrieved very efficiently. The left
subtree contains nodes whose keys are less than the
node’s key value, while the right subtree contains
nodes whose keys are greater than or equal to the
node’s key value. Moreover, both subtrees are also
binary search trees.

13) What are multidimensional arrays?

Multidimensional arrays make use of multiple

indexes to store data. It is useful when storing data
that cannot be represented using single dimensional
indexing, such as data representation in a board
game, tables with data stored in more than one
column.

14) Are linked lists considered linear or non-linear

data structures?

It depends on where you intend to apply linked lists.

If you based it on storage, a linked list is considered
non-linear. On the other hand, if you based it on
access strategies, then a linked list is considered
linear.

15) How does dynamic memory allocation help in

managing data?

Apart from being able to store simple structured

data types, dynamic memory allocation can combine
separately allocated structured blocks to form
composite structures that expand and contract as
needed.

16) What is FIFO?

FIFO stands for First-in, First-out, and is used to

represent how data is accessed in a queue. Data has
been inserted into the queue list the longest is the
one that is removed first.

17) What is an ordered list?

An ordered list is a list in which each node’s position

in the list is determined by the value of its key
component, so that the key values form an
increasing sequence, as the list is traversed.

18) What is merge sort?

Merge sort, is a divide-and-conquer approach for

sorting the data. In a sequence of data, adjacent
ones are merged and sorted to create bigger sorted
lists. These sorted lists are then merged again to
form an even bigger sorted list, which continues
until you have one single sorted list.

19) Differentiate NULL and VOID

Null is a value, whereas Void is a data type identifier.

A variable that is given a Null value indicates an
empty value. The void is used to identify pointers as
having no initial size.

20) What is the primary advantage of a linked list?

A linked list is an ideal data structure because it can

be modified easily. This means that editing a linked
list works regardless of how many elements are in
the list.

21) What is the difference between a PUSH and a

POP?

Pushing and popping applies to the way data is

stored and retrieved in a stack. A push denotes data
being added to it, meaning data is being “pushed”
into the stack. On the other hand, a pop denotes
data retrieval, and in particular, refers to the
topmost data being accessed.

22) What is a linear search?

A linear search refers to the way a target key is being

searched in a sequential data structure. In this
method, each element in the list is checked and
compared against the target key. The process is
repeated until found or if the end of the file has
been reached.

23) How does variable declaration affect memory

allocation?

The amount of memory to be allocated or reserved

would depend on the data type of the variable being
declared. For example, if a variable is declared to be
of integer type, then 32 bits of memory storage will
be reserved for that variable.

24) What is the advantage of the heap over a

stack?

The heap is more flexible than the stack. That’s

because memory space for the heap can be
dynamically allocated and de-allocated as needed.
However, the memory of the heap can at times be
slower when compared to that stack.

25) What is a postfix expression?

A postfix expression is an expression in which each

operator follows its operands. The advantage of this
form is that there is no need to group sub-
expressions in parentheses or to consider operator
precedence.

26) What is Data abstraction?

Data abstraction is a powerful tool for breaking

down complex data problems into manageable
chunks. This is applied by initially specifying the data
objects involved and the operations to be
performed on these data objects without being
overly concerned with how the data objects will be
represented and stored in memory.

27) How do you insert a new item in a binary

search tree?

Assuming that the data to be inserted is a unique

value (that is, not an existing entry in the tree), check
first if the tree is empty. If it’s empty, just insert the
new item in the root node. If it’s not empty, refer to
the new item’s key. If it’s smaller than the root’s key,
insert it into the root’s left subtree, otherwise, insert
it into the root’s right subtree.

28) How does a selection sort work for an array?

The selection sort is a fairly intuitive sorting

algorithm, though not necessarily efficient. In this
process, the smallest element is first located and
switched with the element at subscript zero, thereby
placing the smallest element in the first position.

The smallest element remaining in the subarray is

then located next to subscripts 1 through n-1 and
switched with the element at subscript 1, thereby
placing the second smallest element in the second
position. The steps are repeated in the same
manner till the last element.

29) How do signed and unsigned numbers affect

memory?

In the case of signed numbers, the first bit is used to

indicate whether positive or negative, which leaves
you with one bit short. With unsigned numbers, you
have all bits available for that number. The effect is
best seen in the number range (an unsigned 8-bit
number has a range 0-255, while the 8-bit signed
number has a range -128 to +127.

30) What is the minimum number of nodes that a

binary tree can have?

A binary tree can have a minimum of zero nodes,

which occurs when the nodes have NULL values.
Furthermore, a binary tree can also have 1 or 2
nodes.

31) What are dynamic data structures?

Dynamic data structures are structures that expand

and contract as a program runs. It provides a
flexible means of manipulating data because it can
adjust according to the size of the data.

32) In what data structures are pointers applied?

Pointers that are used in linked list have various

applications in the data structure. Data structures
that make use of this concept include the Stack,
Queue, Linked List and Binary Tree.

33) Do all declaration statements result in a fixed

reservation in memory?

Most declarations do, with the exemption of

pointers. Pointer declaration does not allocate
memory for data, but for the address of the pointer
variable. Actual memory allocation for the data
comes during run-time.

34) What are ARRAYs?

When dealing with arrays, data is stored and

retrieved using an index that refers to the element
number in the data sequence. This means that data
can be accessed in any order. In programming, an
array is declared as a variable having a number of
indexed elements.

35) What is the minimum number of queues

needed when implementing a priority queue?

The minimum number of queues needed in this

case is two. One queue is intended for sorting
priorities while the other queue is used for actual
storage of data.

36) Which sorting algorithm is considered the

fastest?

There are many types of sorting algorithms: quick

sort, bubble sort, balloon sort, radix sort, merge
sort, etc. Not one can be considered the fastest
because each algorithm is designed for a particular
data structure and data set. It would depend on the
data set that you would want to sort.

37) Differentiate STACK from ARRAY.

Stack follows a LIFO pattern. It means that data

access follows a sequence wherein the last data to
be stored when the first one to be extracted. Arrays,
on the other hand, does not follow a particular
order and instead can be accessed by referring to
the indexed element within the array.

38) Give a basic algorithm for searching a binary

search tree.

1. if the tree is empty, then the target is not in the

tree, end search
2. if the tree is not empty, the target is in the
tree
3. check if the target is in the root item
4. if a target is not in the root item, check if
a target is smaller than the root’s value
5. if a target is smaller than the root’s value,
search the left subtree
6. else, search the right subtree

39) What is a dequeue?

A dequeue is a double-ended queue. This is a
structure wherein elements can be inserted or
removed from either end.

40) What is a bubble sort and how do you perform

it?

A bubble sort is one sorting technique that can be

applied to data structures such as an array. It works
by comparing adjacent elements and exchanges
their values if they are out of order. This method lets
the smaller values “bubble” to the top of the list,
while the larger value sinks to the bottom.

41) What are the parts of a linked list?

A linked list typically has two parts: the head and the
tail. Between the head and tail lie the actual nodes.
All these nodes are linked sequentially.

42) How does selection sort work?

Selection sort works by picking the smallest number

from the list and placing it at the front. This process
is repeated for the second position towards the end
of the list. It is the simplest sort algorithm.

43) What is a graph?

A graph is one type of data structure that contains a

set of ordered pairs. These ordered pairs are also
referred to as edges or arcs and are used to connect
nodes where data can be stored and retrieved.

44) Differentiate linear from a nonlinear data

structure.

The linear data structure is a structure wherein data

elements are adjacent to each other. Examples of
linear data structure include arrays, linked lists,
stacks, and queues. On the other hand, a non-linear
data structure is a structure wherein each data
element can connect to more than two adjacent
data elements. Examples of nonlinear data structure
include trees and graphs.
45) What is an AVL tree?

An AVL tree is a type of binary search tree that is

always in a state of partially balanced. The balance is
measured as a difference between the heights of
the subtrees from the root. This self-balancing tree
was known to be the first data structure to be
designed as such.

46) What are doubly linked lists?

Doubly linked lists are a special type of linked list

wherein traversal across the data elements can be
done in both directions. This is made possible by
having two links in every node, one that links to the
next node and another one that connects to the
previous node.

47) What is Huffman’s algorithm?

Huffman’s algorithm is used for creating extended

binary trees that have minimum weighted path
lengths from the given weights. It makes use of a
table that contains the frequency of occurrence for
each data element.

48) What is Fibonacci search?

Fibonacci search is a search algorithm that applies

to a sorted array. It makes use of a divide-and-
conquer approach that can significantly reduce the
time needed in order to reach the target element.

49) Briefly explain recursive algorithm.

Recursive algorithm targets a problem by dividing it

into smaller, manageable sub-problems. The output
of one recursion after processing one sub-problem
becomes the input to the next recursive process.

50) How do you search for a target key in a linked

list?

To find the target key in a linked list, you have to

apply sequential search. Each node is traversed and
compared with the target key, and if it is different,
then it follows the link to the next node. This
traversal continues until either the target key is
found or if the last node is reached.

Data Structure

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