In a Max-Heap, which node contains the largest value of the entire heap?

In a Max-Heap, which node contains the largest value of the entire heap?

• A. Left Most Leaf
• B. Root
• C. Right Most Leaf
• D. Deepest Node

Answer: (B)

In a max-heap, every node is greater than or equal to its children. This heap-order property means that as you move from the root down any path, values do not increase. Therefore the root, sitting at the top, is greater than or equal to every other node in the heap, making it the location of the largest value. Leaves or deepest nodes can be large too, but they cannot exceed the root, so they are not the maximum (unless there are duplicates equal to the root’s value, which still places the maximum at the root).

In a max-heap, every node is greater than or equal to its children. This heap-order property means that as you move from the root down any path, values do not increase. Therefore the root, sitting at the top, is greater than or equal to every other node in the heap, making it the location of the largest value. Leaves or deepest nodes can be large too, but they cannot exceed the root, so they are not the maximum (unless there are duplicates equal to the root’s value, which still places the maximum at the root).