Challenge your understanding of stacks, queues, and their practical uses with this data structures quiz. Improve your skills on operations, algorithms, and real-world applications covering stack and queue behaviors.
Which operation removes the top element from a stack in a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) data structure?
Explanation: Pop is the correct operation to remove the top element from a stack, following the Last-In, First-Out principle. Dequeue and Enqueue are queue operations used for removing and adding elements, respectively. Peek retrieves the top element without removing it, so it does not modify the stack. Only Pop both retrieves and removes the top item in a stack.
What is a common real-world application of the queue data structure, where tasks are served in the order they arrive?
Explanation: Processor task scheduling uses a queue structure so that tasks are executed in the order they arrive, matching the First-In, First-Out behavior of queues. The undo function in text editors and recursive function calls are based on stacks, not queues. Web browser history tracking also uses a stack to allow 'back' and 'forward' navigation.
Which data structure is most suitable for checking if a sequence of parentheses is balanced in an arithmetic expression?
Explanation: A stack is ideal for checking balanced parentheses because each opening symbol can be 'pushed' and later 'popped' when a matching closing symbol appears. A queue cannot track nested pairs properly due to its FIFO nature. Linked lists and arrays are generic data structures and do not offer built-in support for the necessary LIFO behavior.
Which type of queue allows insertion and deletion of elements from both front and rear ends?
Explanation: A deque (double-ended queue) supports inserting and deleting elements from both the front and rear. Simple queues allow insertion at the rear and removal from the front, while circular queues handle overflow more efficiently but still restrict insertions and deletions to specific ends. Priority queues arrange elements by priority rather than by order of insertion.
What could occur if too many recursive function calls are made without termination, with each call consuming stack memory?
Explanation: Stack overflow happens when the call stack exceeds its memory limit, often due to excessive or improperly terminating recursion. Stack underflow would result from attempting to pop an empty stack, not from too many calls. Queue underflow is related to queues, and heap overflow pertains to the heap memory, which is separate from the call stack.