Which of the following operations on a singly linked list has a time complexity of O(1)? a) accessing an element by index b) inserting an element at the start c) deleting the last... Which of the following operations on a singly linked list has a time complexity of O(1)? a) accessing an element by index b) inserting an element at the start c) deleting the last element d) searching for an element
Understand the Problem
The question is asking which operation on a singly linked list can be performed in constant time, O(1). We need to evaluate each of the provided options based on their time complexities related to singly linked lists.
Answer
Inserting an element at the start has O(1) time complexity.
The operation of inserting an element at the start of a singly linked list has a time complexity of O(1).
Answer for screen readers
The operation of inserting an element at the start of a singly linked list has a time complexity of O(1).
More Information
Inserting at the start of a singly linked list involves changing the head pointer to point to the new node, which can be done quickly without traversing the list. This is why it has a time complexity of O(1).
Tips
A common mistake is thinking that accessing an element by index in a linked list is O(1), but it actually requires traversing the list, making it O(n).
Sources
- Which of the following operations on a singly linked list has a time ... - quizgecko.com
- Why does linked list delete and insert operation have complexity of ... - stackoverflow.com
