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Question 1 [12 = 3 x 4 marks]
In this part you are required to answer the following short questions. Your answer
should be concise. As a guideline, it should require no more space than the space that
is provided.
(1) Is shaker sort stable? Explain your answer.

(2) Is it possible for O(N ) code to run faster than O(1) code, explain your answer.

(3) How do best and worst case differ for merge-sort and why?

(4) What is the worst-case time complexity of quicksort and when does it happen?

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12
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Question 2 [23 = 13 + 10 marks]
The following function returns the sum of the digits composing a number x. For example,
sum_of_digits(35) will return 8.
def sum_of_digits ( x ):
if x < 10:
return x
else :
return ( x % 10) + sum_of_digits ( x //10)

• Provide a tail-recursive version of the sum_of_digits algorithm.

• What are the best and worst-case time complexity of the non-tail recursive sum_of_digits.
Explain your answer – no explanation means no marks.

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Question 3 [35 marks]
Consider the following python code, which you wish to translate into MIPS.
a = 2
result = 0
l = [6 , 2 , 4]

def my_function (k , a_list ):

i = 0
n = len ( a_list )
count = 0
# HERE
while i < n :
if a_list [ i ] % k == 0:
count +=1
i +=1
return count

result = my_function (a , l )
print ( result )

Complete the MIPS memory diagram below when code execution reaches the line
marked with the comment HERE. Include names and contents. Memory addresses are
provided. Before reaching my_function, ra = 0x00400000 and fp = 0x7FFFB3114.
Name Content Address
0x10014F20
0x10014F24
Heap 0x10014F28
0x10014F2C
0x10014F30
0x10014F34

Stack 0x7FFEFDC
0x7FFEFE0
0x7FFEFE4
0x7FFEFE8
0x7FFEFEC
0x7FFEFF0
0x7FFEFF4
0x7FFEFF8
0x7FFEFFC
0x7FFF000

Registers
$fp
$sp

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Question 4 [30 marks]
This question is about MIPS programming. Translate the following Python code faith-
fully into MIPS assembly language. Note that in this piece of code all variables are
global variables. Add comments to your MIPS code to facilitate readability. Use only
instructions or pseudo-instructions in the MIPS reference sheet.
n = 19
base = int ( input ())
while n > 0:
print ( n % base )
n = n // base

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