Data Structures and Algorithms: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 6 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

Graph theory

Handshake lemma
Σ deg(v) = 2|E|
Complete graphs
|E(Kn)| = n(n − 1)/2, |E(Km,n)| = m·n
Regular graph
|E| = n·k/2
Tree and forest
|E| = n − 1, |E| = n − c
Leaves of a tree
L = 2 + Σ (deg(v) − 2) over deg(v) ≥ 3
Euler
circuit: all degrees even; path: exactly 2 odd degrees
Hamilton circuits in Kn
(n − 1)!/2
Dijkstra update
d(v) = min(d(v), d(u) + w(u, v))
Walks of length L
(Mᴸ)ij

Method

  1. Write down the degree of every vertex; the degrees add up to twice the number of edges.
  2. For Euler questions, check that the graph is connected and count the vertices with odd degree.
  3. For trees, use n − 1 edges and the handshake lemma.
  4. For Dijkstra, keep a table of tentative distances and settle the smallest unsettled vertex each round.
  5. For a minimum spanning tree, sort the edges by weight and skip every edge that closes a cycle (Kruskal), or grow one tree from a start vertex (Prim).

2Practice problems

1.Algorithms & complexityMedium

With coins of 1, 3 and 4 and an amount of 6, how many coins does the greedy "largest coin first" method use, compared to the optimum?

  1. AGreedy uses 3 coins; the optimum is 2
  2. BGreedy uses 2 coins; the optimum is 2
  3. CGreedy uses 4 coins; the optimum is 3
  4. DGreedy uses 3 coins; the optimum is 3
2.Algorithms & complexityHard

What does the recurrence T(n) = 2T(n/2) + n log n solve to?

  1. AΘ(n²)
  2. BΘ(n log² n)
  3. CΘ(n)
  4. DΘ(n log n)
3.Data structuresMedium

A road network has 100,000 junctions, each connected to about 4 others. Which representation is most suitable?

  1. AAdjacency matrix
  2. BAdjacency list
  3. CA single sorted array of vertices
  4. DA binary heap of edges
4.Data structuresHard

An object is stored as a key in a hash map, and then a field used by its hash function is changed. What is the likely result?

  1. ALooking up the object may fail because it sits in the bucket for its old hash
  2. BNothing changes, because a key's hash is computed only once when the program starts
  3. CThe map automatically moves the key to its new bucket
  4. DThe map throws an error at the moment the field changes
5.Graph theoryMedium
ABCDEFGEuler circuitEuler path, no circuitneither

Does the connected graph have an Euler circuit, an Euler path that is not a circuit, or neither? Click your answer.

|V| = 7|E| = 9
  1. 1Euler circuit
  2. 2Euler path, no circuit
  3. 3neither
6.Graph theoryHard
6141515199ABCDE

Prim’s algorithm builds a minimum spanning tree starting from vertex B. Click the edge it adds as edge number 2.

start: Bk = 2
  1. 1edge AB
  2. 2edge AC
  3. 3edge BC
  4. 4edge BD
  5. 5edge CE
  6. 6edge DE
  7. 7edge BE

3Solutions

1.Algorithms & complexity

Answer: A · Greedy uses 3 coins; the optimum is 2

Why this is the answer

Greedy takes 4 + 1 + 1 = 3 coins, but 3 + 3 uses only 2, so greedy is not optimal for this coin system; dynamic programming is.

Answer

A · Greedy uses 3 coins; the optimum is 2
2.Algorithms & complexity

Answer: B · Θ(n log² n)

Why this is the answer

Level k does about n log(n / 2ᵏ) work, and summing over log n levels gives Θ(n log² n), the extended second case of the master theorem.

Answer

B · Θ(n log² n)
3.Data structures

Answer: B · Adjacency list

Why this is the answer

A matrix would need 1010 cells, almost all empty; an adjacency list only stores the roughly 400,000 edge entries.

Answer

B · Adjacency list
4.Data structures

Answer: A · Looking up the object may fail because it sits in the bucket for its old hash

Why this is the answer

The key's location was chosen from its old hash; with a new hash, lookups search the wrong bucket, so keys should be immutable.

Answer

A · Looking up the object may fail because it sits in the bucket for its old hash
5.Graph theory

Answer: neither

Euler, Hamilton and trees: a connected graph has an Euler circuit (every edge once, back to the start) when every vertex has even degree, and an Euler path that is not a circuit when exactly two vertices have odd degree; the path then runs from one odd vertex to the other. A Hamilton circuit visits every vertex once; Kn has (n − 1)!/2 of them. A tree on n vertices has n − 1 edges, and a connected graph with m edges keeps a spanning tree after removing m − n + 1 edges.

Degrees

deg(A) = 2, deg(B) = 2, deg(C) = 3, deg(D) = 3, deg(E) = 3, deg(F) = 1, deg(G) = 4

Odd vertices

C, D, E, F → 4
neither

Answer

neither
6.Graph theory

Answer: edge BD

Shortest paths and spanning trees: Dijkstra’s algorithm settles one vertex per round: the unsettled vertex with the smallest tentative distance. Its distance is then final, and every neighbour v gets d(v) = min(d(v), d(u) + w(u, v)). Kruskal’s algorithm builds a minimum spanning tree by taking the edges from light to heavy and skipping any edge that would close a cycle; Prim’s algorithm grows one tree from a start vertex by always adding the lightest edge that leaves it. A spanning tree of n vertices has n − 1 edges.

Prim’s algorithm

1. BC (1)
2. BD (5)
3. AB (6)
4. BE (9)

edge number 2

BD

Answer

edge BD

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