About this previous year paper
This question paper belongs to B.Tech (Semester III) for the subject Data Structure (KCS301). It is a 100-mark, 3-hour examination designed to assess a student's understanding of fundamental and advanced topics in data structures. The entire paper is divided into three sections—A, B, and C—each testing different cognitive levels: basic recall, analytical thinking, and applied problem-solving.
SECTION A – Short Conceptual Questions (20 Marks)
Section A contains 10 short questions, each carrying 2 marks, covering core concepts of data structures.
Topics include:
Converting infix to postfix expressions
Ranking time complexities
Constructing a binary search tree from given insertions
Understanding recursive functions and their output
Sparse matrix definition and efficient representation
Advantages of doubly linked lists
Stable vs unstable sorting techniques
AVL tree advantages over BST
Tail recursion with example
Memory representations of graphs
This section checks fundamentals, definitions, properties, and quick conceptual applications.
SECTION B – Analytical & Algorithmic Questions (30 Marks)
Students must attempt any 3 out of 5, each of 10 marks.
Topics include:
Advantages & disadvantages of linked lists vs arrays
Writing C function to create a new list from alternate nodes
Insertion sort algorithm, dry-run and time-complexity
DFS vs BFS and constructing BFS tree
Linear vs binary search, writing recursive binary search
Maintaining threads in a threaded BST and insertion algorithm
This section evaluates the student's ability to differentiate, write algorithms, analyze operations, and apply concepts to specific cases.
SECTION C – Long Answer & Problem-Solving (50 Marks)
This section contains 5 main questions, each with two alternatives, and students must attempt one part from each question (5 × 10 = 50 marks).
Q3 – Arrays / Polynomial Using Linked List
Students must either:
Compute size and explain row-major & column-major order for a 3D array
Or represent polynomials using linked lists and write C functions to add them
Q4 – Sorting / Hashing
Apply merge sort & quick sort with full step-wise execution
Or perform hashing with open addressing & differentiate probing techniques
Q5 – Dijkstra & Prim
Students must solve:
Dijkstra’s shortest path from a given graph
Or Prim’s Minimum Spanning Tree for the given weighted graph
(Both graphs shown visually on Page 2:
Q6 – BST / Recursion
Write iterative BST search + disadvantages of recursion
Or write recursive + non-recursive factorial programs
Q7 – B-Tree / Stacks
Construct a full B-Tree of order 5 with many insertions + deletions
Or design 2 stacks in one array + reverse a string using a stack
This section tests deep understanding of data structures, algorithmic thinking, C programming, tree construction, searching, sorting, hashing, and graph algorithms.
Overall Summary
The Data Structure (KCS301) question paper is a complete syllabus-coverage exam including:
Expression conversion
Complexity analysis
Trees (BST, AVL, Threaded BST, B-Tree)
Searching & sorting
Linked lists (single, double, polynomial)
Graph algorithms (DFS, BFS, Dijkstra, Prim)
Hashing
Recursion & memory layouts
It evaluates both theoretical clarity and practical implementation skills, essential for understanding advanced algorithmic subjects in later semesters.