Important Questions and Answers in Algorithms (Computer Science)
1. What is an Algorithm?
An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem. It is a sequence of
instructions that are followed to achieve a specific outcome.
2. Explain the concept of Big-O Notation.
Big-O Notation is a mathematical representation used to describe the time and space complexity of
an algorithm. It provides an upper bound on the growth rate of an algorithm.
3. What is Divide and Conquer Strategy?
Divide and conquer is a paradigm for designing algorithms. It involves dividing a problem into
smaller sub-problems, solving each sub-problem recursively, and then combining their solutions to
solve the original problem.
4. Describe Dynamic Programming.
Dynamic programming is an optimization technique that solves problems by breaking them down
into overlapping sub-problems and storing the results of these sub-problems to avoid redundant
computations.
5. What is the difference between Greedy Algorithms and Dynamic Programming?
Greedy algorithms build a solution step by step, always choosing the option that looks best at the
moment. Dynamic programming, on the other hand, solves problems by combining the solutions of
overlapping sub-problems optimally.
6. Explain the concept of Time Complexity.
Time complexity refers to the amount of computational time an algorithm takes to complete as a
function of the size of the input data.
7. What is a Graph Algorithm?
Graph algorithms are used to solve problems related to graph theory, such as finding the shortest
path, minimum spanning tree, and detecting cycles in a graph.