In the worst case, the number of comparisons needed to search an item stored in a single linked list structure of length 101 is a. 98 b. 101 c. 99 d. 100

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the structure of the search: The problem involves searching for an item within a single linked list.
2. Determine the worst-case scenario: In a linked list, the worst-case search occurs when the item being searched for is at the end of the list or not present at all.

Relevant Concepts

1. In a single linked list of length $n$, the maximum number of comparisons needed to find an item is equal to the length of the list, $n$.
2. For a list of length 101, we are particularly interested in how many elements we need to compare in the worst case.

Analysis and Detail

1. For a list of 101 elements:
   • If the desired item is present at the last position or not present, we need to compare all 101 elements, leading to 101 comparisons.

Verify and Summarize

1. Confirming the search logic: Each element has to be checked one-by-one in the worst-case scenario.
2. As a result, the maximum number of comparisons will indeed be 101.

Final Answer

The correct answer is b. 101.