Tree Traversal Inorder Left Root Right in DSA C - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Inorder Tree Traversal?

Inorder traversal visits nodes in this order: Left child, Root node, Right child. It is used to get nodes in ascending order for binary search trees.

beginner

In Inorder traversal, which node is visited first?

The left child node is visited first before the root and right child.

beginner

What is the output of Inorder traversal on a binary search tree?

The output is the nodes sorted in ascending order.

intermediate

Show the basic recursive C function signature for Inorder traversal.

void inorderTraversal(struct Node* root) { /* visit left, root, right */ }

beginner

Why is Inorder traversal useful for binary search trees?

Because it visits nodes in ascending order, making it easy to retrieve sorted data.

In Inorder traversal, which order are nodes visited?

A Right, Root, Left

B Root, Left, Right

C Left, Root, Right

D Root, Right, Left

Inorder traversal always visits the left child first, then the root, then the right child.

What is the first node visited in Inorder traversal of a binary tree?

A Root node

B Right child

C Leaf node

D Left child

Inorder traversal starts with the left child node.

Which traversal method gives nodes in ascending order for a binary search tree?

A Inorder

B Postorder

C Preorder

D Level order

Inorder traversal visits nodes in ascending order for binary search trees.

What is the correct recursive call order in Inorder traversal?

A Traverse left, print root, traverse right

B Print root, traverse left, traverse right

C Traverse right, print root, traverse left

D Print root, traverse right, traverse left

Inorder traversal visits left subtree first, then root, then right subtree.

Which of these is NOT a step in Inorder traversal?

A Visit right subtree

B Visit nodes level by level

C Visit root node

D Visit left subtree

Visiting nodes level by level is Level Order traversal, not Inorder.

Explain how Inorder traversal works on a binary tree.

Think about the order Left, Root, Right.

Describe why Inorder traversal is important for binary search trees.

Consider the property of binary search trees.

Practice

1. What is the order of nodes visited in an inorder tree traversal?

easy

A. Left subtree, Root, Right subtree

B. Root, Left subtree, Right subtree

C. Right subtree, Root, Left subtree

D. Root, Right subtree, Left subtree

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand inorder traversal definition

   Inorder traversal visits nodes in the order: left child, root node, then right child.

2. Step 2: Apply the order to the tree

   This means we first visit all nodes in the left subtree, then the root, then all nodes in the right subtree.

3. Final Answer:

   Left subtree, Root, Right subtree -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Inorder = Left, Root, Right [OK]

Hint: Remember: Inorder means Left, Root, then Right [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing inorder with preorder or postorder
• Visiting root before left subtree
• Visiting right subtree before root

2. Which of the following C function prototypes correctly represents an inorder traversal of a binary tree node struct Node?

easy

A. int inorder(struct Node* root);

B. int inorder(struct Node root);

C. void inorder(struct Node root);

D. void inorder(struct Node* root);

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct parameter type for tree traversal

   Traversal functions usually take a pointer to the root node to access the tree nodes.

2. Step 2: Check return type and parameter

   Traversal functions typically return void as they print or process nodes during traversal, so void return type with pointer parameter is correct.

3. Final Answer:

   void inorder(struct Node* root); -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Traversal uses pointer and void return [OK]

Hint: Traversal functions use pointer to root and void return [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing struct by value instead of pointer
• Using int return type instead of void
• Missing pointer in parameter

3. Given the binary tree below:

    2
   / \
  1   3

What is the output of the inorder traversal function that prints node values?

medium

A. 2 1 3

B. 1 3 2

C. 1 2 3

D. 3 2 1

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify inorder traversal order

   Inorder visits left subtree, then root, then right subtree.

2. Step 2: Apply inorder to given tree

   Left child is 1, root is 2, right child is 3, so output is "1 2 3".

3. Final Answer:

   1 2 3 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Inorder of 2-node tree = 1 2 3 [OK]

Hint: Inorder prints nodes in ascending order for BST [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Printing root before left subtree
• Printing right subtree before root
• Confusing preorder or postorder output

4. Consider this C code snippet for inorder traversal:

void inorder(struct Node* root) {
    if (root == NULL) return;
    inorder(root->left);
    printf("%d ", root->data);
    inorder(root->right);
}

What is the error if the function prints nodes in preorder instead of inorder?

medium

A. The printf statement is before the left subtree call

B. The base case is missing the NULL check

C. The right subtree call is missing

D. The function is missing a return type

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand traversal order in code

   Inorder prints after left subtree call and before right subtree call.

2. Step 2: Identify cause of preorder output

   If printf is before left subtree call, root prints first, causing preorder output.

3. Final Answer:

   The printf statement is before the left subtree call -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Print before left subtree = preorder [OK]

Hint: Print root between left and right calls for inorder [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Placing print before left subtree call
• Omitting NULL base case
• Forgetting to call right subtree

5. You have a binary search tree with nodes inserted in this order: 5, 3, 7, 2, 4, 6, 8.
What is the inorder traversal output of this tree?

hard

A. 5 3 7 2 4 6 8

B. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

D. 3 2 4 5 6 7 8

Solution

1. Step 1: Build the BST structure

   Insert 5 as root, 3 left of 5, 7 right of 5, 2 left of 3, 4 right of 3, 6 left of 7, 8 right of 7.

2. Step 2: Perform inorder traversal

   Inorder visits nodes in ascending order for BST: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

3. Final Answer:

   2 3 4 5 6 7 8 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Inorder of BST = sorted nodes [OK]

Hint: Inorder traversal of BST gives sorted order [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Listing nodes in insertion order
• Reversing the order
• Skipping nodes in traversal