Q: How does HashMap work internally?
A: HashMap stores entries in buckets based on hashCode(). Collisions are handled via linked lists,
and from Java 8, deep buckets convert into Red-Black trees for O(log n) worst-case lookup.
Q: Difference between HashMap, ConcurrentHashMap, and Hashtable?
A: HashMap is non-thread-safe. Hashtable is thread-safe but locks entire map.
ConcurrentHashMap uses bucket-level locking (Java 7) or CAS (Java 8) for better concurrency.
Q: When does HashMap switch from LinkedList to Red-Black Tree? Why?
A: When a bucket exceeds 8 elements, it converts to a Red-Black tree in Java 8 to improve lookup
from O(n) to O(log n).
Q: How does ArrayList grow internally?
A: ArrayList resizes by 1.5x when capacity is exceeded, using Arrays.copyOf(). This amortizes
insert cost to O(1).
Q: Explain CopyOnWriteArrayList.
A: It creates a new copy of the array on every write. Ideal for read-heavy, write-light scenarios. Fast
reads but memory-heavy and slow writes.
Q: Difference between fail-fast and fail-safe iterators?
A: Fail-fast iterators (ArrayList, HashMap) throw ConcurrentModificationException. Fail-safe
iterators (CopyOnWriteArrayList, ConcurrentHashMap) work on snapshots and don’t fail.
Q: How does ConcurrentHashMap achieve thread safety?
A: Java 7 used segmented locks, Java 8 uses CAS and node-level locks, enabling concurrent reads
and writes.
Q: Why should keys in HashMap be immutable?
A: Immutable keys prevent hashCode/equals changes after insertion, avoiding lookup issues and
memory leaks.
Q: When to use LinkedList over ArrayList?
A: LinkedList is better for frequent middle insert/delete. ArrayList is better for random access and
cache locality.
Q: How does WeakHashMap help in avoiding memory leaks?
A: Keys are weakly referenced, so GC can reclaim them when no strong references exist, useful for
caching.
Q: How do you implement an LRU cache using collections?
A: Extend LinkedHashMap with accessOrder=true and override removeEldestEntry(). Provides
O(1) get/put with LRU removal.
Q: Which collection for high reads and fewer writes in multi-threaded environment?
A: CopyOnWriteArrayList (for lists) and ConcurrentHashMap (for maps). Ideal when reads
dominate writes.
Q: What is the difference between BlockingQueue implementations?
A: ArrayBlockingQueue is bounded with array, LinkedBlockingQueue is node-based,
PriorityBlockingQueue orders by priority.
Q: Difference between PriorityQueue and TreeSet?
A: PriorityQueue allows duplicates and is optimized for polling min/max. TreeSet disallows
duplicates and supports range queries.
Q: When to use EnumMap?
A: EnumMap is array-based, very fast, and memory-efficient for enum keys, maintaining natural
order.
Q: Collections.synchronizedList() vs CopyOnWriteArrayList?
A: SynchronizedList locks on every operation, iteration needs external sync. CopyOnWriteArrayList
uses snapshot iteration, faster for reads but costly for writes.
Q: How does BlockingQueue work internally? Where is it used?
A: It blocks producers if full and consumers if empty. Used in producer-consumer, thread pools, and
messaging.
Q: Difference between ConcurrentSkipListMap and ConcurrentHashMap?
A: SkipListMap is sorted with O(log n), ConcurrentHashMap is hash-based with O(1) average but
unordered.
Q: How do memory leaks occur in HashMap with mutable keys?
A: If key’s hashCode/equals changes after insertion, it becomes unreachable in the map, causing
leaks.
Q: Why prefer immutable keys in maps?
A: They guarantee stable hashCode/equals and thread-safety, preventing lookup failures.
Q: WeakHashMap vs IdentityHashMap?
A: WeakHashMap uses weak references for keys (GC-friendly). IdentityHashMap uses reference
equality (==) for keys.
Q: How to implement an LRU cache efficiently?
A: Extend LinkedHashMap with accessOrder=true and override removeEldestEntry(). Widely used
in caching systems.
Q: Thread-safe list with more reads than writes?
A: CopyOnWriteArrayList – lock-free iteration and safe reads, costly writes due to array copy.
Q: Maintain insertion order with fast lookup?
A: LinkedHashMap (or LinkedHashSet). Maintains insertion order and provides O(1) lookup.
Q: How to implement a custom collection?
A: Extend AbstractList or AbstractMap and implement core methods like get/size/put. Other
behaviors are inherited.
