Compare common data structures and uses
Company: Optiver
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: Medium
Interview Round: Technical Screen
Compare common data structures and select appropriate ones for specific tasks. For arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, binary search trees (balanced and unbalanced), heaps, and graphs, state average and worst-case time/space complexities for search, insert, delete, and iteration; list key invariants; and provide one example where each excels and one where it performs poorly.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates a candidate's mastery of fundamental data structures, algorithmic time and space complexity, invariants, and practical trade-offs across arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, binary search trees, heaps, and graphs.