Basic Data Structures and Algorithms

What are Basic DSAs?

Basic DSAs include essential data structures and algorithms that appear frequently and are commonly used to solve a wide range of problems. These are the foundational tools that every programmer should be familiar with. This section should give you a headstart on the elementary DSA's:

• Linked List: Linear data structures where elements are stored in nodes, with each node pointing to the next.

• Array: Collections of elements stored in contiguous memory locations, accessible by indices.

• Hash Map: Data structures that provide fast insertion, deletion, and lookup operations using hash functions.

• Stack: Linear data structures that follow the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle.

• Queue: Linear data structures that follow the First In, First Out (FIFO) principle. Used frequently in Breadth-First Search (BFS) algorithms.

• Sorting: Algorithms that arrange elements in a particular order (ascending or descending). Often paired with Binary Search and Greedy algorithms.

Importance of Basic DSAs

Identifying problems that can be solved with basic DSAs is a key skill for coding interviews. Many interview questions are designed to test your understanding and ability to identify the usage of these fundamental concepts. Recognizing which DSA to use can lead to important observations, simplify the problem-solving process and lead to more efficient solutions.

In terms of AlgoMonster's company-specific pattern distributions, problems which are marked as Basic DSA are either classic questions that thoroughly test a particular DSA, or more challenging problems that require these DSAs for optimization. By mastering these, you will build a solid foundation and enhance your ability to tackle both straightforward and complex problems efficiently.

Many advanced data structures and algorithms build upon the basic DSAs and use them to implement the most efficient solution. A solid understanding of these fundamentals is essential for coding interviews.

Getting Started with Basic DSAs

The following sections will help you get started with the essential DSAs, providing you with a strong foundation for coding interviews. Each section includes introductory code examples and visual examples to dive deeper into the functionality and purpose of each Basic DSA. Here are some examples of classic, Basic DSA interview problems:

• Two Sum - Array, Hash Map
• Reverse Linked List - Linked List
• Number of Recent Calls - Queue
• Valid Parentheses - Stack
• Array Partition - Sorting