Question

What data structure does a binary tree degenerate to if it isn't balanced properly?

1) Linked List
2) Array
3) Heap
4) Stack

Answer 1

If a binary tree is not balanced properly, it degenerates into a Linked List, becoming inefficient for operations with a time complexity of O(n).

Step-by-step explanation:

When a binary tree is not balanced properly, it degenerates into a Linked List. This degeneration happens because every parent node has only one child, causing the tree to form a straight line, resembling a linked list. In the worst case, this makes operations such as insertions, deletions, and lookups less efficient, with a time complexity of O(n) where n is the number of nodes in the tree.

Proper balancing techniques like those used in AVL trees or Red-Black trees can prevent this scenario by ensuring the tree remains balanced after any operation, thus maintaining an operation time complexity of O(log n) for a balanced binary tree with n nodes.