Data Structures: 36 flashcards
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1. What is a data structure?
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A method of organizing and storing data so it can be used efficiently for processing, retrieval, updating, and deletion.
2. Name the four components every data structure carries.
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Data, storage representation, operations, and access methods.
3. What are primitive data structures? Give examples.
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Atomic single-value types provided by the language: int, char, float, bool, pointer.
4. What are non-primitive data structures? Give examples.
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Structures that organize collections of values: array, stack, queue, linked list, tree, graph, heap, trie.
5. Is an array primitive or non-primitive? Why?
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Non-primitive — it stores primitive values but organizes multiple items into a collection.
6. Define a linear data structure.
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A structure where elements are arranged sequentially, each having one predecessor and one successor (except first and last).
7. Give four examples of linear data structures.
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Array, Stack, Queue, Linked List.
8. Define a non-linear data structure.
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A structure where one element can connect to many others, forming hierarchies or networks.
9. Give three examples of non-linear data structures.
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Tree, Graph, Trie (also Heap).
10. What is a static data structure?
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A structure that allocates memory at compile time and has a fixed size, e.g., int arr[100].
11. What is a dynamic data structure?
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A structure that allocates memory at runtime using pointers and functions like malloc() and calloc().
12. What is the formula for the address of arr[i]?
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$$\text{Address of } arr[i] = \text{base address} + (i \times \text{element size})$$
13. What is the time complexity of accessing an element in an array vs a linked list?
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Array: $O(1)$ — direct address calculation. Linked list: $O(n)$ — must follow the chain.
14. What is the time complexity of inserting at the front of an array vs a linked list?
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Array: $O(n)$ — all elements shift. Linked list: $O(1)$ — create a node and update two pointers.
15. What does LIFO stand for and which structure uses it?
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Last In, First Out — used by the Stack.
16. What does FIFO stand for and which structure uses it?
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First In, First Out — used by the Queue.
17. What is an Abstract Data Type (ADT)?
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A logical description of what operations a data type supports and how they behave, without specifying implementation.
18. How does an ADT differ from a data structure?
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ADT is the logical interface (what operations do); a data structure is the physical implementation (how they work).
19. Can the Stack ADT be implemented using different data structures?
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Yes — it can be implemented using either an array or a linked list.
20. Which data structure maps to the undo button?
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Stack (LIFO).
21. Which data structure maps to a railway counter line?
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Queue (FIFO).
22. Which data structure maps to Google Maps navigation?
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Graph — locations as nodes, roads as edges.
23. Which data structure maps to a folder system?
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Tree — hierarchical parent-child relationships.
24. Which data structure maps to phone keypad autocomplete?
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Trie — a prefix tree.
25. Which data structure maps to CPU task scheduling?
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Priority Queue.
26. Which data structure maps to phone contact search?
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Hash Table or Binary Search Tree.
27. Why are data structures the foundation of algorithms?
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Sorting uses arrays/lists, recursion uses the stack, pathfinding uses graphs — the structure determines algorithmic efficiency.
28. What are the three independent lenses for classifying a data structure?
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Primitive/non-primitive, linear/non-linear, static/dynamic.
29. Classify an array using all three lenses.
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Non-primitive, linear, static.
30. Classify a linked list using all three lenses.
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Non-primitive, linear, dynamic.
31. Classify a tree using all three lenses.
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Non-primitive, non-linear, dynamic.
32. What happens if you forget to free() dynamically allocated memory?
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A memory leak occurs — memory stays reserved but unusable.
33. Why can static data structures overflow?
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Their size is fixed at compile time, so they cannot hold more elements than allocated.
34. What is the main advantage of contiguous storage in arrays?
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Direct address calculation enables $O(1)$ random access.
35. What is the main disadvantage of scattered storage in linked lists?
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Access is $O(n)$ because you must follow pointers from node to node.
36. Why does choosing the right data structure matter?
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It can dramatically reduce execution time and memory usage — or make a correct algorithm unusably slow.
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