Data Structure and Algorithm MCQs

1. What is a data structure?

a) A programming language
b) A collection of algorithms
c) A way to store and organize data
d) A type of computer hardware
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: A data structure is a way to store and organize data efficiently, enhancing
access and manipulation, unlike programming languages, algorithms, or computer
hardware.
2. What are the disadvantages of arrays?
a) Index value of an array can be negative
b) Elements are sequentially accessed
c) Data structure like queue or stack cannot be implemented
d) There are chances of wastage of memory space if elements inserted in an array are
lesser than the allocated size
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Arrays are of fixed size. If we insert elements less than the allocated size,
unoccupied positions can’t be used again. Wastage will occur in memory.
3. Which data structure is used for implementing recursion?
a) Stack
b) Queue
c) List
d) Array
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Stacks are used for the implementation of Recursion.
4. The data structure required to check whether an expression contains a balanced
parenthesis is?
a) Queue
b) Stack
c) Tree
d) Array
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: The stack is a simple data structure in which elements are added and
removed based on the LIFO principle. Open parenthesis is pushed into the stack and a
closed parenthesis pops out elements till the top element of the stack is its corresponding
open parenthesis. If the stack is empty, parenthesis is balanced otherwise it is
unbalanced.
5. Which of the following is not the application of stack?
a) Data Transfer between two asynchronous process
b) Compiler Syntax Analyzer
c) Tracking of local variables at run time
d) A parentheses balancing program
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Data transfer between the two asynchronous process uses the queue data
structure for synchronisation. The rest are all stack applications.
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6. Which data structure is needed to convert infix notation to postfix notation?
a) Tree
b) Branch
c) Stack
d) Queue
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: The Stack data structure is used to convert infix expression to postfix
expression. The purpose of stack is to reverse the order of the operators in the
expression. It also serves as a storage structure, as no operator can be printed until both
of its operands have appeared.
7. What is the value of the postfix expression 6 3 2 4 + – *?
a) 74
b) -18
c) 22
d) 40
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Postfix Expression is (6*(3-(2+4))) which results -18 as output.
8. What data structure would you mostly likely see in non recursive implementation of a
recursive algorithm?
a) Stack
b) Linked List
c) Tree
d) Queue
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: In recursive algorithms, the order in which the recursive process comes back
is the reverse of the order in which it goes forward during execution. The compiler uses
the stack data structure to implement recursion. In the forwarding phase, the values of
local variables, parameters and the return address are pushed into the stack at each
recursion level. In the backing-out phase, the stacked address is popped and used to
execute the rest of the code.
9. Which of the following statement(s) about stack data structure is/are NOT correct?
a) Top of the Stack always contain the new node
b) Stack is the FIFO data structure
c) Null link is present in the last node at the bottom of the stack
d) Linked List are used for implementing Stacks
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Stack follows LIFO.
10. The data structure required for Breadth First Traversal on a graph is?
a) Array
b) Stack
c) Tree
d) Queue
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: In Breadth First Search Traversal, BFS, starting vertex is first taken and
adjacent vertices which are unvisited are also taken. Again, the first vertex which was
added as an unvisited adjacent vertex list will be considered to add further unvisited
vertices of the graph. To get the first unvisited vertex we need to follows First In First Out
principle. Queue uses FIFO principle.
11. The prefix form of A-B/ (C * D ^ E) is?
a) -A/B*C^DE
b) -A/BC*^DE
c) -ABCD*^DE
d) -/*^ACBDE
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Infix Expression is A-B/(C*D^E)
This can be written as: A-(B/(C*(D^E)))
Thus prefix expression is -A/B*C^DE.
12. Which of the following points is/are not true about Linked List data structure when it is
compared with an array?
a) Random access is not allowed in a typical implementation of Linked Lists
b) Access of elements in linked list takes less time than compared to arrays
c) Arrays have better cache locality that can make them better in terms of performance
d) It is easy to insert and delete elements in Linked List
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: To access an element in a linked list, we need to traverse every element
until we reach the desired element. This will take more time than arrays as arrays provide
random access to its elements.
13. Which data structure is based on the Last In First Out (LIFO) principle?
a) Tree
b) Linked List
c) Stack
d) Queue
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: The data structure that follows the Last In First Out (LIFO) principle is the
Stack. It operates like a stack of objects, making it suitable for specific-order
management.
14. Which of the following application makes use of a circular linked list?
a) Recursive function calls
b) Undo operation in a text editor
c) Implement Hash Tables
d) Allocating CPU to resources
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Generally, round robin fashion is employed to allocate CPU time to resources
which makes use of the circular linked list data structure. Recursive function calls use
stack data structure. Undo Operation in text editor uses doubly linked lists. Hash tables
uses singly linked lists.
15. What is a bit array?
a) Data structure that compactly stores bits
b) Data structure for representing arrays of records
c) Array in which elements are not present in continuous locations
d) An array in which most of the elements have the same value
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: It compactly stores bits and exploits bit-level parallelism.
16. Which of the following tree data structures is not a balanced binary tree?
a) Splay tree
b) B-tree
c) AVL tree
d) Red-black tree
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: All the tree data structures given in options are balanced, but B-tree can
have more than two children.
17. Which of the following is not the type of queue?
a) Priority queue
b) Circular queue
c) Single ended queue
d) Ordinary queue
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: Queue always has two ends. So, single ended queue is not the type of
queue.
18. Which of the following data structures can be used for parentheses matching?
a) n-ary tree
b) queue
c) priority queue
d) stack
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: For every opening brace, push it into the stack, and for every closing brace,
pop it off the stack. Do not take action for any other character. In the end, if the stack is
empty, then the input has balanced parentheses.
19. Which algorithm is used in the top tree data structure?
a) Backtracking
b) Divide and Conquer
c) Branch
d) Greedy
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Top tree is a type of data structure which is based on unrooted dynamic
binary tree and is used to solve path related problems. It allows an algorithm called divide
and conquer.
20. What is the need for a circular queue?
a) easier computations
b) implement LIFO principle in queues
c) effective usage of memory
d) to delete elements based on priority
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: In a linear queue, dequeue operation causes the starting elements of the
array to be empty, and there is no way you can use that space, while in a circular queue,
you can effectively use that space. Priority queue is used to delete the elements based on
their priority. Higher priority elements will be deleted first whereas lower priority elements
will be deleted next. Queue data structure always follows FIFO principle.
21. Which of the following is the most widely used external memory data structure?
a) B-tree
b) Red-black tree
c) AVL tree
d) Both AVL tree and Red-black tree
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: In external memory, the data is transferred in form of blocks. These blocks
have data valued and pointers. And B-tree can hold both the data values and pointers. So
B-tree is used as an external memory data structure.
22. Which of the following is also known as Rope data structure?
a) Linked List
b) Array
c) String
d) Cord
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Array is a linear data structure. Strings are a collection and sequence of
codes, alphabets or characters. Linked List is a linear data structure having a node
containing data input and the address of the next node. The cord is also known as the
rope data structure.
23. What will be the output of the following program?

main()
{
char str[]="san foundry";
int len = strlen(str);
int i;

for(i=0;i<len;i++)
push(str[i]); // pushes an element into stack

for(i=0;i<len;i++)
pop(); //pops an element from the stack
}

a) yrdnuof nas
b) foundry nas
c) sanfoundry
d) san foundry
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: First, the string ‘san foundry’ is pushed one by one into the stack.
When it is popped, the output will be as ‘yrdnuof nas’.
24. Which of the following data structure can provide efficient searching of the elements?
a) binary search tree
b) unordered lists
c) 2-3 tree
d) treap
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: The average case time for lookup in a binary search tree, treap and 2-3 tree
is O(log n) and in unordered lists it is O(n). But in the worst case, only the 2-3 trees
perform lookup efficiently as it takes O(log n), while others take O(n).
25. What is an AVL tree?
a) a tree which is unbalanced and is a height balanced tree
b) a tree which is balanced and is a height balanced tree
c) a tree with atmost 3 children
d) a tree with three children
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: It is a self balancing tree with height difference atmost 1.
26. What is the time complexity for searching a key or integer in Van Emde Boas data
structure?
a) O (M!)
b) O (log M!)
c) O (log (log M))
d) O (M2)
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: In order to search a key or integer in the Van Emde Boas data structure, the
operation can be performed on an associative array. Hence, the time complexity for
searching a key or integer in Van Emde Boas data structure is O (log (log M)).
27. The optimal data structure used to solve Tower of Hanoi is _________
a) Tree
b) Heap
c) Priority queue
d) Stack
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: The Tower of Hanoi involves moving of disks ‘stacked’ at one peg to another
peg with respect to the size constraint. It is conveniently done using stacks and priority
queues. Stack approach is widely used to solve Tower of Hanoi.
28. What is the use of the bin data structure?
a) to have efficient traversal
b) to have efficient region query
c) to have efficient deletion
d) to have efficient insertion
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Bin data structure allows us to have efficient region queries. A frequency of
bin is increased by one each time a data point falls into a bin.
29. Which is the most appropriate data structure for reversing a word?
a) stack
b) queue
c) graph
d) tree
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Stack is the most appropriate data structure for reversing a word because
stack follows LIFO principle.
30. What is the functionality of the following piece of code?

public void display()

{
if(size == 0)
System.out.println("underflow");
else
{
Node current = first;
while(current != null)
{
System.out.println(current.getEle());
current = current.getNext();
}
}
}
a) display the list
b) reverse the list
c) reverse the list excluding top-of-the-stack-element
d) display the list excluding top-of-the-stack-element
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: An alias of the node ‘first’ is created which traverses through the list and
displays the elements.
31. Which of the following is the simplest data structure that supports range searching?
a) AA-trees
b) K-d trees
c) Heaps
d) binary search trees
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: K-d trees are the simplest data structure that supports range searching and
also it achieves the respectable running time.
32. What is the advantage of a hash table as a data structure?
a) easy to implement
b) faster access of data
c) exhibit good locality of reference
d) very efficient for less number of entries
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Hash table is a data structure that has an advantage that it allows fast
access of elements. Hash functions are used to determine the index of any input record in
a hash table.
33. Which type of data structure is a ternary heap?
a) Hash
b) Array
c) Priority Stack
d) Priority Queue
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Ternary heap is a type of data structure in the field of computer science. It is
a part of the Heap data structure family. It is a priority queue type of data structure that
follows all the property of heap.
34. What is a dequeue?
a) A queue implemented with both singly and doubly linked lists
b) A queue with insert/delete defined for front side of the queue
c) A queue with insert/delete defined for both front and rear ends of the queue
d) A queue implemented with a doubly linked list
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: A dequeue or a double ended queue is a queue with insert/delete defined for
both front and rear ends of the queue.
35. A data structure in which elements can be inserted or deleted at/from both ends but
not in the middle is?
a) Priority queue
b) Dequeue
c) Circular queue
d) Queue
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: In dequeuer, we can insert or delete elements from both the ends. In queue,
we will follow first in first out principle for insertion and deletion of elements. Element with
least priority will be deleted in a priority queue.
36. What is the output of the following Java code?

public class array

{
public static void main(String args[])
{
int []arr = {1,2,3,4,5};
System.out.println(arr[2]);
System.out.println(arr[4]);
}
}

a) 4 and 2
b) 2 and 4
c) 5 and 3
d) 3 and 5
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Array indexing starts from 0.
37. In simple chaining, what data structure is appropriate?
a) Doubly linked list
b) Circular linked list
c) Singly linked list
d) Binary trees
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Deletion becomes easier with doubly linked list, hence it is appropriate.
 Chapter # 01

ABSTRACT DATA TYPES