Algorithm Design and Analysis MCQs for Problem Solvers

Preparing for Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in algorithm design and analysis is a crucial step for aspiring software engineers and computer science students. It helps you sharpen not only problem-solving skills but also boosts your confidence to sit in those tough interviews.

The MCQs we have curated cover a broad range of concepts primarily in algorithms and data structures. These questions are foundational to computer science and software engineering. These MCQs include questions on sorting algorithms, for instance, bubble sort, quick sort, and heap sort, including their time and space complexities. You will also find questions on merge sort.

The list also includes questions on graph processing, such as Dijkstra’s algorithm for shortest paths, Bellman-Ford algorithm, Prim’s and Kruskal’s algorithm for minimum spanning trees, and algorithms for graph traversals.

Additionally, you will find MCQs on complexity analysis, data structures, dynamic programming, algorithmic strategies, and so on. Overall, the MCQs have been curated to help you test your knowledge of algorithmic techniques and data structures.

Also Read: Best Companies to work for as a Software Engineer

So, let’s dive straight into the interview questions to test your fundamentals.

Algorithm Design and Analysis MCQs with Answers

Q1. What is the time complexity of this code?

for i in range(n):

       for j in range(n):

           print(i, j)

1. O(n)
2. O(nlogn)
3. O(n^2)
4. O(2^n)

Answer: C. O(n^2)

Q2. Which sorting algorithm has the worst-case time complexity of O(n^2)?

1. Merge Sort
2. Quick Sort
3. Bubble Sort
4. Heap Sort

Answer: C. Bubble Sort

Q3. What is the space complexity of Merge Sort?

1. O(n)
2. O(log n)
3. O(n^2)
4. O(nlogn)

Answer: A. O(n)

Q4. Which data structures are used to formulate the Breadth-first Search (BFS)?

1. Stack
2. Queue
3. Heap
4. Linked List

Answer: B. Queue

Q5. What is the best-case time complexity of Quick Sort?

1. O(n)
2. O(nlogn)
3. O(n^2)
4. O(logn)

Answer: B. O(nlogn)

Q6. Which algorithm will provide the fastest passing route for a directed graph with weighted nodes containing only non-negative weights?

1. Dijkstra’s Algorithm
2. Bellman-Ford Algorithm
3. Floyd-Warshall Algorithm
4. Prim’s Algorithm

Answer: A. Dijkstra’s Algorithm

Q7. In what case would you prefer the use of the hash table instead of the binary search tree?

1. When sorted order of elements is required
2. When there are frequent insertions and deletions
3. When memory usage needs to be minimized
4. When elements need to be accessed in sorted order

Answer: B. When there are frequent insertions and deletions

Q8. What is the primary advantage of using dynamic programming?

1. Minimizes space complexity
2. Guarantees optimal solution
3. Reduces time complexity
4. Simplifies algorithm design

Answer: B. Guarantees optimal solution

Q9. What kind of graph is in use for finding strongly connected components in a directed graph?

1. Dijkstra’s Algorithm
2. Kruskal’s Algorithm
3. Tarjan’s Algorithm
4. Prim’s Algorithm

Answer: C. Tarjan’s Algorithm

Q10. What is the time complexity of the Knuth-Morris-Pratt (KMP) algorithm for string matching?

1. O(n)
2. O(m + n)
3. O(nlogn)
4. O(n^2)

Answer: B. O(m + n)

Q11. What is the Time complexity described as the worst case for this recursive function.?

1. O(2^n)
2. O(n)
3. O(nlogn)
4. O(logn)

Answer: A. O(2^n)

Q12. Which algorithm is used to find the maximum subarray sum with minimal use of time and resources?

1. Breadth-First Search (BFS)
2. Depth-First Search (DFS)
3. Kadane’s Algorithm
4. Bellman-Ford Algorithm

Answer: C. Kadane’s Algorithm

Q13. In which scenario is a binary search tree (BST) not suitable?

1. When elements need to be accessed in sorted order
2. When the tree needs to be balanced
3. When there are frequent insertions and deletions
4. When memory usage needs to be minimized

Answer: C. When there are frequent insertions and deletions

Q14. In which algorithm is DAC identified by topologically sorting a single graph?

1. Dijkstra’s Algorithm
2. Kruskal’s Algorithm
3. Topological Sort
4. Bellman-Ford Algorithm

Answer: C. Topological Sort

Q15. What is the time complexity of a Sieve of Eratosthenes algorithm for a situation where all the prime numbers are found up to ‘n’ what time of complexity is that?

1. O(n)
2. O(nlogn)
3. O(sqrt(n)loglogn)
4. O(nloglogn)

Answer: D. O(nloglogn)

Q16. Which algorithm is used to find the minimum weighted spanning tree from a weighted graph containing a negative cycle?

1. Dijkstra’s Algorithm
2. Bellman-Ford Algorithm
3. Floyd-Warshall Algorithm
4. Kruskal’s Algorithm

Answer: B. Bellman-Ford Algorithm

Q17. Which algorithm will be used to search for the occurrence of a minimum spanning tree in a graph?

1. Dijkstra’s Algorithm
2. Bellman-Ford Algorithm
3. Floyd-Warshall Algorithm
4. Prim’s Algorithm

Answer: D. Prim’s Algorithm

Q18. How many computations does the Boyer-Moore Majority Vote approach offer for locating the dominant element in the array?

1. O(n)
2. O(nlogn)
3. O(n^2)
4. O(1)

Answer: A. O(n)

Q19.  What kind of algorithm is in-place and stable with the time complexity of O(nlog n)?

1. Quick Sort
2. Merge Sort
3. Heap Sort
4. Radix Sort

Answer: B. Merge Sort

Q20. Which algorithm is used  to implement the most efficient LCS (Longest Common Subsequence) of two sequences?

1. Depth-First Search (DFS)
2. Breadth-First Search (BFS)
3. Bellman-Ford Algorithm
4. Dynamic Programming

Answer: D. Dynamic Programming

Q21. Which data structure is typically used to implement a priority queue efficiently?

1. Stack
2. Queue
3. Heap
4. Linked List

Answer: C. Heap

Q22. How is the efficiency of finding the median of an unsorted array with QuickSelect algorithm evaluated in terms of asymptotic time complexity?

1. O(n)
2. O(nlogn)
3. O(n^2)
4. O(logn)

Answer: A. O(n)

Q23. Which algorithm can be employed to find the arrangement of all the elements in an array, taking into account all the permutation ideas accordingly?

1. Merge Sort
2. Quick Sort
3. Heap Sort
4. Backtracking

Answer: D. Backtracking

Q24. In which scenario would you prefer using Depth-First Search (DFS) over Breadth-First Search (BFS)?

1. When finding the shortest path between two nodes
2. When the graph is weighted
3. When the graph is very deep and solutions are rare
4. When the graph is sparse

Answer: C. When the graph is very deep and solutions are rare

Q25. Which algorithm is used for finding the closest pair of points in a set efficiently?

1. Divide and Conquer
2. Greedy Algorithm
3. Dynamic Programming
4. Depth-First Search (DFS)

Answer: A. Divide and Conquer

Master Your Algorithm Design and Analysis Interview Kickstart

Self-learning is good, but a dedicated program can enhance your learning through a structured approach. This ensures that you cover all necessary topics systematically. Our Early Engineering program has been strategically curated with the expert guidance to help you familiarize with questions top companies ask.

The program offers hands-on projects and mentorship to understand complex concepts deeply. The course suits software engineers who want to specialize in DSA and problem-solving.

FAQs: Algorithm Design and Analysis

What is Pseudocode? 
Pseudocode is a mixture of natural and programming language-like constructs.

What are the common types of algorithm problems? 
The common problems include:

• Sorting
• Searching
• String Processing

What is Best Case Efficiency ? 
It is the best-case efficiency of input of size n.

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