Master Data Structures: Arrays and Linked Lists for Biology Majors

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a head node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To store the address of the first element in the list.

Answer

To store the number of elements in the list.

Answer

To store the last element in the list.

Answer

To serve as a placeholder for an empty list.

Question 2

Which sorting algorithm typically has the best average-case time complexity?

Accepted Answer

Merge Sort

Answer

Bubble Sort

Answer

Selection Sort

Answer

Quick Sort

Question 3

What is the time complexity of reversing a singly linked list of size 'n' in place?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(1)

Question 4

In a linked list, each node typically contains:

Accepted Answer

zarówno wartość danych, jak i wskaźnik do następnego węzła

Answer

wyłącznie wartość danych

Answer

wyłącznie wskaźnik do następnego węzła

Answer

ani wartość danych, ani wskaźnik do następnego węzła

Question 5

Which of the following is a valid syntax for creating an array in Python?

Accepted Answer

numbers = [1, 2, 3]

Answer

numbers[3] = [1, 2, 3]

Answer

numbers = new int[] {1, 2, 3}

Answer

numbers = {1, 2, 3}

Question 6

What is the primary purpose of the 'head' pointer in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To indicate the first element of the list

Answer

To indicate the last element of the list

Answer

To keep track of the number of elements in the list

Answer

To provide access to a random element in the list

Question 7

For a doubly linked list, what is the worst-case time complexity of searching for an element?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 8

Which data structure is best suited for storing large datasets that require frequent access?

Accepted Answer

Array

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Question 9

Define a circular linked list.

Accepted Answer

A linked list where the last node points back to the first node

Answer

A linked list where the first node points to the last node

Answer

A linked list that contains only one node

Answer

A linked list that is implemented using a circular buffer

Question 10

How do the size of an array and the data type of its elements affect its memory usage?

Accepted Answer

Both the size of the array and the data type of its elements affect memory usage.

Answer

Only the size of the array affects memory usage.

Answer

Only the data type of the array's elements affects memory usage.

Answer

Neither the size of the array nor the data type of its elements affects memory usage.

Question 11

What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a linked list, assuming average case analysis?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Question 12

Which of the following is a type of linked list data structure?

Accepted Answer

Circular linked list

Answer

Array

Answer

Hash table

Answer

Binary tree

Question 13

What is the purpose of a sentinel node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To simplify boundary condition checks

Answer

To reduce memory usage

Answer

To provide type safety

Answer

To improve search performance

Question 14

What is the purpose of a dummy head in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To simplify edge case handling

Answer

To reduce memory usage

Answer

To provide type safety

Answer

To improve search performance

Question 15

Which characteristic does NOT apply to arrays?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic size

Answer

Ordered sequence of elements

Answer

Fixed size

Answer

Contiguous memory allocation

Question 16

To access the last element of an array with n elements, the correct index to use is:

Accepted Answer

n-1

Answer

n/2

Answer

0

Answer

n

Question 17

Consider the C++ array declaration: int arr[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}. What is the value of arr[2]?

Accepted Answer

3

Answer

4

Answer

5

Answer

1

Question 18

Which characteristic is unique to linked lists?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic memory allocation

Answer

Contiguous memory allocation

Answer

Homogeneous data type

Answer

Fast random access

Question 19

In a linked list, what does the next pointer of the last node reference?

Accepted Answer

NULL

Answer

The previous node

Answer

The first node

Answer

A random node

Question 20

To insert a node at the start of a linked list, which operation should be performed?

Accepted Answer

Create a new node and set its next pointer to the current first node

Answer

Create a new node and set its previous pointer to the current first node

Answer

Set the previous pointer of the current first node to the new node

Answer

Set the next pointer of the current first node to the new node

Question 21

What is the average time complexity of searching for an element in a singly linked list?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 22

Consider the following code snippet: Node* head = new Node(10); Node* second = new Node(20); head->next = second; What is the value of head->next->data?

Accepted Answer

20

Answer

NULL

Answer

A random value

Answer

10

Question 23

When working with datasets that undergo frequent insertions, deletions, and modifications, which data structure is more appropriate: arrays or linked lists?

Accepted Answer

Linked lists, due to their dynamic memory allocation and efficient modification capabilities.

Answer

Arrays, as they offer direct element access.

Answer

Arrays, as they are inherently more efficient in memory utilization.

Answer

The choice depends solely on the programming language being used.

Question 24

What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a linked list of size N?

Accepted Answer

O(N)

Answer

O(log N)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(N^2)

Question 25

What is the purpose of a sentinel node in a singly linked list?

Accepted Answer

To mark the end of the list and simplify traversal operations

Answer

To provide a starting point for traversal

Answer

To store additional metadata associated with the list

Answer

To store the number of elements in the list

Question 26

Which of the following is a potential drawback of using an array?

Accepted Answer

Fixed size

Answer

Efficient access

Answer

Easy insertion and deletion

Answer

Dynamic memory allocation

Question 27

What is the purpose of a head node in a singly linked list?

Accepted Answer

To store the address of the first element in the list

Answer

To mark the end of the list

Answer

To store additional information about the list

Question 28

In the context of data structures, what is the fundamental difference between a one-dimensional and a two-dimensional array?

Accepted Answer

A two-dimensional array features two indices for element access, while a one-dimensional array only has one index

Answer

A two-dimensional array stores data of varying types, while a one-dimensional array is restricted to a single data type

Answer

One-dimensional arrays are stored contiguously in memory, unlike two-dimensional arrays

Question 29

Which operation can be efficiently performed on a linked list compared to an array?

Accepted Answer

Inserting or deleting an element at any position

Answer

Directly accessing an element based on its index

Answer

Searching for a specific element within the data structure

Answer

Sorting the entire list in ascending or descending order

Question 30

In a linked list, what is the time complexity of searching for a specific element?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a typical use case for linked lists in data structures?

Accepted Answer

Efficient storage of vast amounts of data

Answer

Implementation of fundamental data structures like queues and stacks

Answer

Construction of complex data structures like graphs and trees

Answer

Representation of sparse matrices with numerous zero values

Question 32

In the context of linked lists, what is the primary purpose of a tail node?

Accepted Answer

To designate the last element of the list

Answer

To store the total number of elements in the list

Answer

To connect the linked list to other separate linked lists

Answer

To mark the starting point of the list

Question 33

Determine the time complexity of searching for an element in a linked list containing 'n' nodes.

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Question 34

Consider the provided code snippet: 'int[] myArray = new int[10]'. Which statement accurately describes 'myArray'?

Accepted Answer

An array object with a fixed capacity of 10 integers

Answer

A pointer to the initial element of an array

Answer

Limited to storing only primitive data types

Question 35

Select the appropriate method to create a linked list in Java.

Accepted Answer

LinkedList myLinkedList = new LinkedList<>();

Answer

Node myLinkedList = new Node(10);

Answer

int[] myLinkedList = new int[10];

Question 36

What is the purpose of a head node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

Serves as a reference to the first node or indicates an empty list when null

Answer

Represents the final node in the list

Answer

Stores the count of nodes within the list

Question 37

Differentiate between singly and doubly linked lists.

Accepted Answer

Singly linked lists contain nodes with references to the next node, while doubly linked lists have nodes with references to both the next and previous nodes

Answer

Singly linked lists are inherently more efficient

Question 38

Identify the method used to remove the last element from a linked list?

Accepted Answer

removeLast()

Answer

delete()

Answer

pop()

Answer

remove()

Question 39

List the advantages associated with utilizing arrays over linked lists.

Accepted Answer

Quicker access, contiguous memory allocation, efficiency in handling large datasets

Answer

Optimized for insertion and deletion operations

Answer

Capability to store objects of varying sizes

Question 40

Which of the following accurately describes the primary distinction between an array and a linked list?

Accepted Answer

Arrays allocate contiguous memory locations for elements, while linked lists utilize dynamically allocated nodes to store data.

Answer

Arrays allow dynamic resizing, whereas linked lists do not.

Question 41

Which application is most suitable for an array data structure?

Accepted Answer

Storing a fixed-size collection of values that will be accessed sequentially.

Answer

Representing a graph structure.

Answer

Implementing a queue data structure.

Question 42

What is the primary purpose of a head node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To provide a reference to the initial node of the list.

Answer

To store the size of the list.

Answer

To mark the end of the list.

Answer

To hold the data for the first element.

Question 43

When would using a linked list be the most appropriate choice?

Accepted Answer

When dealing with a collection of data that undergoes frequent insertions and deletions.

Answer

When working with large datasets requiring sequential access.

Answer

When requiring fast random access to data.

Question 44

Searching for a specific element in an unsorted linked list has a time complexity of:

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Answer

O(log n)

Question 45

A notable limitation of arrays is their:

Accepted Answer

Fixed size.

Answer

Ability to store data of different types.

Answer

Efficient insertion and deletion operations.

Answer

Fast random access capability.

Question 46

What is the fundamental distinction between a singly linked list and a doubly linked list?

Accepted Answer

In a doubly linked list, each node maintains references to both the preceding and succeeding nodes.

Answer

Singly linked lists are exclusively designed for storing numerical values.

Answer

Doubly linked lists are invariably circular.

Question 47

Considering the worst-case scenario, what is the time complexity of deleting an element from the middle of an array?

Accepted Answer

O(n)

Answer

O(log n)

Answer

O(n^2)

Answer

O(1)

Question 48

In a linked list, what is the primary purpose of a null pointer?

Accepted Answer

It signifies the termination of the list.

Answer

It indicates the length of the list.

Answer

It marks the commencement of the list.

Answer

It serves as a repository for data that has been removed.

Question 49

What is a key advantage that linked lists hold over arrays?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic memory allocation, which allows for flexible adjustments in size.

Answer

Faster random access to elements.

Answer

More efficient memory utilization due to fixed size.

Question 50

What is the core function of a node in a linked list?

Accepted Answer

To store data and maintain a reference to the subsequent node in the list.

Answer

To hold the index of the next element.

Answer

To provide a pointer to the beginning of the list.

Question 51

In general, which operation is performed more efficiently in a linked list than in an array?

Accepted Answer

Insertion at a specified position.

Answer

Searching for a specific element.

Answer

Accessing an element at a specified index.

Answer

Sorting the elements.

Question 52

In a singly linked list, how can one traverse from the last node to the first node?

Accepted Answer

Direct traversal from the last node to the first node is not feasible.

Answer

Follow the 'previous' pointer in each node.

Answer

Utilize a temporary pointer to store the address of the last node.

Question 53

Identify a potential drawback associated with linked lists.

Accepted Answer

Slower random access to elements.

Answer

Excessive memory overhead.

Answer

Limited size due to fixed memory allocation.

Answer

Implementation complexity compared to arrays.

Question 54

For an application that necessitates the storage of a dynamic collection of student records, which data structure would be most suitable?

Accepted Answer

Linked list

Answer

Queue

Answer

Stack

Answer

Array

Question 55

A linked list with a head pointer pointing to the last node instead of the first node is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Circular linked list.

Answer

Sorted linked list.

Answer

Doubly linked list.

Answer

Single linked list.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a common use case for arrays?

Accepted Answer

Implementing a dynamic queue.

Answer

Representing a grid for image processing.

Answer

Storing a series of numbers for statistical analysis.

Answer

Storing a collection of data with a fixed size.