Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) is a crucial computer science topic focusing on how data is organized and manipulated efficiently. Data structures are ways of storing and accessing data, each with strengths and weaknesses for particular tasks. Examples include arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, and hash tables. Algorithms are step-by-step procedures to solve computational problems. Choosing the right data structure and algorithm is key to program performance. Analysis involves assessing time and space complexity – how runtime and memory usage scale with input size (e.g., O(n), O(log n), O(n^2)). Efficient algorithms are crucial for handling large datasets and achieving optimal performance in applications ranging from search engines to machine learning.
Which data structure uses a key-value pair for efficient data retrieval?
What is the time complexity of searching for an element in a sorted array using binary search?
What algorithm is commonly used to sort data in O(n log n) time?