How does a hash table handle collisions?
- By ignoring collisions and overwriting existing values.
- By rearranging the elements in the table.
- By resizing the hash table to accommodate more elements.
- By using techniques such as chaining or open addressing to resolve conflicts.
Hash tables handle collisions by employing techniques such as chaining or open addressing. Chaining involves maintaining a linked list at each bucket to store colliding elements, while open addressing involves finding the next available slot in the table.
Multidimensional arrays are arrays of _______ arrays.
- Heterogeneous
- Homogeneous
- Linear
- Non-linear
Multidimensional arrays are arrays of homogeneous arrays, meaning that each element in the outer array points to another array of the same data type.
Imagine you are developing a social network platform where you need to find the shortest path between two users in a friendship graph. Would DFS be appropriate for this scenario? Justify your answer.
- Depends on the graph structure
- Maybe
- No
- Yes
No, DFS would not be appropriate for finding the shortest path in a friendship graph. DFS is not designed for finding the shortest path, as it explores paths deeply, not necessarily the shortest ones. Instead, algorithms like Dijkstra's or BFS are more suitable for this task.
How does the Fibonacci sequence relate to the golden ratio?
- The Fibonacci sequence is unrelated to the golden ratio.
- The golden ratio is the difference between Fibonacci numbers.
- The golden ratio is the sum of Fibonacci numbers.
- The ratio of consecutive Fibonacci numbers converges to the golden ratio.
The Fibonacci sequence is intimately connected to the golden ratio. As you progress in the sequence, the ratio of consecutive Fibonacci numbers converges to the golden ratio, approximately 1.6180339887. This relationship adds a layer of elegance to both concepts.
Manacher's Algorithm is particularly efficient when the input string contains many _______ palindromes.
- Disjoint
- Isolated
- Non-contiguous
- Overlapping
Manacher's Algorithm excels when the input string contains many overlapping palindromes. Its linear time complexity remains effective even in scenarios with a high density of overlapping palindromes.
How does merge sort perform in terms of time complexity compared to other sorting algorithms for large datasets?
- O(log n)
- O(n log n)
- O(n)
- O(n^2)
Merge sort excels in time complexity for large datasets, performing at O(n log n), which is more efficient than O(n^2) algorithms like bubble sort or insertion sort. This makes merge sort a preferred choice for large-scale sorting tasks.
In the coin change problem, what is meant by the term "minimum number of coins"?
- The fewest number of coins required to represent a given amount.
- The least valuable coins in the currency.
- The lowest denomination of coins in the given set.
- The smallest physical size of the coins.
In the coin change problem, the term "minimum number of coins" refers to the fewest number of coins needed to represent a given target amount. The goal is to optimize the combination of coins used to minimize the total count.
Compare and contrast separate chaining and open addressing collision resolution strategies in hash tables.
- Both methods involve creating secondary data structures to handle collisions. Separate chaining uses linked lists, while open addressing stores elements directly in the hash table.
- Separate chaining and open addressing are identical in their approach to collision resolution.
- Separate chaining and open addressing both involve redistributing colliding elements to other locations. Separate chaining uses a single array, while open addressing uses multiple arrays.
- Separate chaining uses a single array to store all elements, while open addressing distributes elements across multiple arrays. Both methods avoid collisions by using dynamic resizing.
Separate chaining and open addressing are two common strategies for handling collisions in hash tables. Separate chaining involves creating linked lists at each index to store colliding elements, while open addressing places elements directly in the hash table, using methods like linear probing or quadratic probing to find alternative locations for collisions.
Naive pattern matching compares each character of the pattern with each character of the text _______.
- In reverse order
- One by one
- Randomly
- Simultaneously
Naive pattern matching compares each character of the pattern with each character of the text one by one. It involves a simple character-by-character comparison, starting from the beginning of the text, and sliding the pattern one position at a time until a match is found or the end of the text is reached.
Metacharacters in regular expressions are special symbols used to represent _______.
- Numbers
- Patterns
- Special characters
- Variables
Metacharacters in regular expressions are special symbols used to represent special characters. These characters have a special meaning in the context of regular expressions, allowing for flexible and powerful pattern matching.