Which of the following is a property of a Binary Search Tree?

Options

  • A. Left subtree contains smaller values and right subtree contains greater values
  • B. Every node must have exactly two children
  • C. The tree must always be completely balanced
  • D. More than one of the above
  • E. None of the above

Correct Answer (Detailed Explanation is Below)

A. Left subtree contains smaller values and right subtree contains greater values

Detailed Explanation

A fundamental BST property is that values in the left subtree are generally smaller than the node and values in the right subtree are generally greater, subject to the chosen duplicate-value convention. A BST does not require every node to have two children, and an ordinary BST does not automatically remain balanced. It may become skewed depending on the insertion order. Balanced variants such as AVL and Red-Black Trees add additional rules to control tree height.