Scaling a Vector

Understanding vector scaling behavior in C++

This is a medium-difficulty C++ language-knowledge question that tests your familiarity with how standard library containers handle dynamic memory and state changes. It rewards precise understanding of method semantics over guesswork.

To answer correctly, you need to trace through the code and reason about what happens to a vector's internal state—its capacity, size, and the validity of existing references or iterators—when certain operations are applied. The question probes whether you understand the contract of key vector methods and when they trigger reallocation versus in-place modification.

• Vector capacity and size management
• Memory reallocation and iterator invalidation
• Distinction between methods that grow, shrink, or reserve space