Array Merging and Partitioning Quiz Quiz

Explore key concepts in array merging and partitioning with practical questions focused on combining, separating, and managing data structures. Enhance your understanding of array operations and optimize your skills in handling arrays efficiently.

1. Merging Two Sorted Arrays

   Given two sorted arrays, [1, 3, 5] and [2, 4, 6], which merged array maintains the overall sorted order?

   1. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
   2. [1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6]
   3. [2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6]
   4. [1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6]

   Explanation: The correct merged array is [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] because it combines both sorted arrays into a single sorted sequence. The other options mix the order, such as [1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6], which places 3 before 2, breaking the sort. Similarly, [2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6] puts 2 before 1, and [1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6] swaps 3 and 4, both of which disrupt the increasing order. Only [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] maintains complete sorted order throughout.

2. Stable Partitioning Principle

   When partitioning the array [8, 3, 7, 6, 2] using 5 as the pivot, which result keeps elements less than 5 to the left and greater or equal to 5 to the right, while preserving the order of elements with respect to the pivot?

   1. [2, 3, 8, 7, 6]
   2. [3, 2, 8, 7, 6]
   3. [3, 2, 8, 6, 7]
   4. [8, 7, 6, 3, 2]

   Explanation: In [3, 2, 8, 7, 6], the values less than 5 (3 and 2) appear in their original order before the pivot, and those greater or equal (8, 7, 6) are grouped afterwards, also preserving their order. [3, 2, 8, 6, 7] disrupts the original sequence of values after the pivot. [8, 7, 6, 3, 2] reverses both groups, and [2, 3, 8, 7, 6] changes the order of the left partition, which breaks stability. Thus, [3, 2, 8, 7, 6] is correct.

3. Array Concatenation

   What is the result of concatenating the arrays [10, 20] and [30, 40, 50] in that order?

   1. [30, 40, 50, 10, 20]
   2. [10, 20, 40, 30, 50]
   3. [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
   4. [10, 30, 20, 40, 50]

   Explanation: Concatenating [10, 20] and [30, 40, 50] in that sequence results in [10, 20, 30, 40, 50], simply joining one array after the other. [30, 40, 50, 10, 20] incorrectly reverses the order. [10, 30, 20, 40, 50] alternates elements from the two arrays, which is not how concatenation works. [10, 20, 40, 30, 50] incorrectly swaps the order of 40 and 30.

4. Partitioning for Even and Odd Numbers

   If you partition the array [9, 2, 5, 8, 3] into even and odd numbers with evens first and preserving the order within each group, which result is accurate?

   1. [2, 9, 5, 8, 3]
   2. [8, 2, 3, 5, 9]
   3. [2, 8, 9, 5, 3]
   4. [9, 3, 2, 8, 5]

   Explanation: The evens, 2 and 8, come first in their original order, followed by the odds 9, 5, 3. [8, 2, 3, 5, 9] swaps the order of evens and also shuffles the odds. [9, 3, 2, 8, 5] changes the order and doesn't keep groups together properly. [2, 9, 5, 8, 3] puts an even after odds, disrupting even grouping.

5. Merging Arrays with Duplicates

   When merging arrays [1, 2, 3, 2] and [2, 3, 4], what is the merged array if all elements—including duplicates—are kept and order is preserved?

   1. [1, 2, 3, 4]
   2. [1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4]
   3. [4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1]
   4. [1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4]

   Explanation: Merging with all duplicates and preserving order combines both arrays as [1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4]. [1, 2, 3, 4] removes duplicates, which is not specified. [1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4] changes the order of elements, and [4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1] reverses the entire sequence. Therefore, [1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4] is correct.