07. Lists, Arrays, and Sequential Data Free Online FlashCards

What is a list?

A list is an ordered sequence of elements stored under one name; an array may represent the same idea in some programming languages.

What index identifies the first element in zero-based indexing?

The first element has index 0.

What are the valid indexes for a list of length n?

For a list of length n, the valid indexes usually range from 0 through n − 1.

What happens to list length when an existing element is updated?

Updating an existing element changes its value but does not necessarily change the list’s length.

When is value-based traversal appropriate?

Use value-based traversal when the program needs each value but does not need its position.

What is an accumulator?

An accumulator stores a result that is built during traversal, such as a total, count, average, or new collection.

What does filtering do to a collection?

Filtering keeps elements that satisfy a condition in a new list; the original list remains unchanged.

What does collection transformation produce?

Transformation creates a new value for each element. Doubling [2, 5, 7] produces [4, 10, 14].

How should a maximum search be initialized?

For a nonempty list, initialize the maximum with the first element, then compare the remaining elements.

How does sequential search examine a list?

A sequential search checks elements one at a time until it finds the target or reaches the end.

What does −1 indicate in findIndex?

A sequential search returns −1 when the target is not found.

What is the worst-case time of sequential search?

Sequential search has O(n) worst-case time because it may inspect every element in a list of length n.