CUET PG Computer Science: Data Structures

• CUET PG Computer Science covers topics relevant to postgraduate computer science studies in India.
• Topics include data structures, algorithms, computer organization, and database management systems.
• The exam assesses analytical and problem-solving skills in computer science.
• Core computer science concepts comprise a significant portion of the syllabus.

Data Structures

• Data structures are methods of efficiently organizing and storing data in a computer.
• Common data structures: arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs.
• Arrays are contiguous memory blocks storing elements of the same type, accessed by index.
• Linked lists consist of nodes containing data and a reference (pointer) to the next node.
• Stacks operate on the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle, with push and pop operations.
• Queues follow the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle, involving enqueue and dequeue operations.
• Trees are hierarchical data structures (root, parent, and child nodes); binary trees have at most two children per node.
• Graphs consist of vertices and edges, representing relationships between data points.
• Understanding time and space complexity is crucial for efficient algorithm design.
• Hash tables use a hash function to map keys to values for fast data retrieval.

Algorithms

• Algorithms are step-by-step procedures for solving problems.
• Algorithm analysis involves assessing time complexity and space complexity.
• Common algorithm design paradigms: divide and conquer, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming.
• Divide and conquer breaks problems into subproblems, solves them recursively, and combines the solutions.
• Greedy algorithms make locally optimal choices at each step to find a global optimum.
• Dynamic programming solves overlapping subproblems by storing results to avoid redundant computations.
• Sorting algorithms: bubble sort, insertion sort, merge sort, quicksort, and heapsort, each with different performance.
• Searching algorithms, like binary search, efficiently locate elements in sorted arrays.
• Graph algorithms: shortest path (Dijkstra's, Bellman-Ford), minimum spanning tree (Kruskal's, Prim's), and network flow algorithms.

Computer Organization and Architecture

• Computer organization involves the physical components of a computer system and their interconnections.
• Computer architecture is the conceptual structure and functional behavior of the computer system.
• Key components: CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and I/O (Input/Output) devices.
• The CPU includes the control unit, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers.
• The control unit fetches instructions from memory and decodes them.
• The ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations.
• Registers are small, high-speed storage locations within the CPU.
• Memory hierarchy: cache memory, main memory (RAM), and secondary storage (hard drives, SSDs).
• Cache memory stores frequently accessed data for faster retrieval.
• Memory addressing modes specify how to calculate the effective address of an operand.
• Instruction set architecture (ISA) defines the instructions a CPU can execute.
• Pipelining allows concurrent instruction processing, improving performance.

Database Management Systems (DBMS)

• A DBMS is software for managing and organizing databases.
• The relational database model organizes data into tables with rows and columns.
• Key concepts: primary key, foreign key, normalization.
• A primary key uniquely identifies each row in a table.
• A foreign key establishes relationships between tables, referencing another table's primary key.
• Normalization reduces data redundancy and improves data integrity using normal forms (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF).
• SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to interact with relational databases (querying, inserting, updating, deleting data).
• ACID properties (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) ensure reliable transaction processing.
• Database indexing improves query performance via faster data retrieval.
• Concurrency control mechanisms manage simultaneous database access by multiple users.

Discrete Mathematics

• Discrete mathematics provides the mathematical foundations for computer science.
• Topics include set theory, logic, combinatorics, graph theory, and number theory.
• Set theory deals with collections of objects and operations between them (union, intersection, complement).
• Logic involves the study of reasoning and argumentation, including propositional and predicate logic.
• Combinatorics counts and arranges objects, including permutations and combinations.
• Graph theory studies graphs and their properties (connectivity, traversability, coloring).
• Number theory involves integers and their properties (divisibility, primality, modular arithmetic).
• Boolean algebra represents logical operations and is fundamental to digital circuit design.

Programming Languages

• Programming languages are formal languages used to communicate instructions to computers.
• Programming paradigms: imperative, object-oriented, functional, and declarative.
• Imperative programming focuses on describing how a program executes, step by step.
• Object-oriented programming organizes code into objects (data and methods).
• Functional programming treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions, avoiding changing state.
• Declarative programming expresses the desired outcome, rather than how to achieve it.
• Key concepts: variables, data types, control structures, functions, and data structures.
• Compilation translates source code into machine code.
• Interpretation executes source code directly.
• Common languages: C, C++, Java, Python, and JavaScript, each with strengths and weaknesses.
• Understanding syntax, semantics, and libraries is essential for software development.

Operating Systems

• An operating system (OS) manages computer hardware and software resources.
• Key functions: process management, memory management, file system management, and I/O management.
• Process management involves creating, scheduling, and terminating processes.
• Memory management allocates and deallocates memory to processes.
• File system management organizes and stores files on storage devices.
• I/O management handles communication between the OS and peripheral devices.
• Common OS concepts: processes, threads, virtual memory, file systems, and security.
• Processes are instances of programs being executed.
• Threads are lightweight processes that share the same address space.
• Virtual memory allows processes to access more memory than physically available.
• File systems organize files into directories and provide access mechanisms.
• Security mechanisms protect the OS and its resources from unauthorized access.

Computer Networks

• Computer networks enable communication and resource sharing between computers.
• Key concepts: network topologies, protocols, and addressing.
• Network topologies describe the physical/logical arrangement of nodes (bus, star, ring, mesh).
• Protocols govern communication between network devices.
• The TCP/IP protocol suite is the foundation of the internet.
• IP addresses uniquely identify devices on a network.
• Network layers: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application.
• The physical layer deals with the physical transmission of data.
• The data link layer provides error-free transmission between adjacent nodes.
• The network layer routes data packets between different networks.
• The transport layer provides reliable, ordered data delivery between applications.
• The application layer provides network services to applications (email, web browsing, file transfer).