What is an array in data structures?

An array is a collection of elements stored at contiguous memory locations, each identified by an index or a key.

What is a linked list?

A linked list is a linear data structure where elements are stored in nodes, and each node points to the next node in the sequence.

Describe a stack and its primary operations.

A stack is a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) data structure. Primary operations are:

• Push: Add an element to the top
• Pop: Remove the top element
• Peek: View the top element without removing it

What is a queue and its main operations?

A queue is a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) data structure. Main operations include:

• Enqueue: Add an element to the rear
• Dequeue: Remove an element from the front
• Front: View the front element without removing it

What is a tree in data structures?

A tree is a hierarchical data structure consisting of nodes connected by edges. It has a root node and subtrees of children with a parent node.

What are the key properties of a Binary Search Tree?

• Each node has at most two children
• The left subtree of a node contains only nodes with keys less than the node's key
• The right subtree of a node contains only nodes with keys greater than the node's key
• Both left and right subtrees must also be binary search trees

What is a hash table and its primary benefit?

A hash table is a data structure that implements an associative array abstract data type, a structure that can map keys to values. Its primary benefit is providing fast (O(1) average case) insertion, deletion, and lookup operations.

What is a graph in data structures?

A graph is a non-linear data structure consisting of vertices (or nodes) and edges that connect these vertices. It is used to represent networks, relationships, and connections between objects.

What is a heap and its types?

A heap is a specialized tree-based data structure that satisfies the heap property. Two types are:

• Max Heap: Parent nodes are always greater than or equal to their children
• Min Heap: Parent nodes are always less than or equal to their children