Question

What is the worst-case runtime complexity of a peek operation on a priority queue?

a) O(log n)
b) O(1)
c) O(n)
d) O(n log n)

Answer 1

The worst-case runtime complexity of peeking at the front element of a priority queue is O(1) as the operation does not depend on the size of the queue and is always immediately accessible.

Step-by-step explanation:

The worst-case runtime complexity of a peek operation on a priority queue is O(1). This is because the peek operation simply retrieves the element at the front of the queue without removing it, and in a well-implemented priority queue, this element is kept track of, making it immediately accessible.

Therefore, the time complexity does not depend on the number of elements in the queue, and it remains constant even as the queue size increases.