Which data structure is a self-balancing tree that maintains sorted data and supports efficient insertion, deletion, and search operations?

• A. B+ Tree
• B. AVL Tree
• C. Red-Black Tree
• D. Binary Search Tree

Answer: (A)

A B+ tree is a balanced multi-way tree designed for keeping data sorted while offering fast insertion, deletion, and search, especially for large datasets stored on disk. In a B+ tree, internal nodes guide the search, and the actual data records live in the leaves, with all leaves linked together. This layout keeps the tree height small (high fan-out), so each operation touches only a few levels, giving O(log n) efficiency. The leaves being linked makes range queries and scans particularly fast, which is a big advantage for databases and file systems. While other self-balancing trees like AVL or Red-Black ensure balanced height in binary form, the B+ tree’s multi-way structure and leaf-linking make it especially well-suited for sorted data with frequent insertions, deletions, and searches in large, disk-based datasets.