Top 10 LeetCode Problems for Amazon SDE-1
Problem 1: Two Sum
Hook:
Amazon interview often starts with this - solve it fast, and you're off to a great start!
Keywords:
Fast lookup, real-time logic, efficient pairing
Summary:
Given an array of integers and a target, find two numbers whose sum equals the target. Use a
HashMap to track the complement of each number for O(n) time complexity.
Concepts:
HashMap, complement check, array traversal, time-space tradeoff
LeetCode Link
Problem 2: Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
Hook:
This will teach you how to slide through strings like a pro.
Keywords:
Dynamic window, duplicate detection, character streaming
Summary:
Find the longest substring without repeating characters using the sliding window technique and
HashSet/HashMap to track seen characters.
Concepts:
Sliding Window, HashMap, Two Pointers, String Optimization
LeetCode Link
Problem 3: Valid Parentheses
Hook:
It's just brackets - until they break your code.
Keywords:
Stack logic, symbol matching, balanced structure
Top 10 LeetCode Problems for Amazon SDE-1
Summary:
Check if a string of parentheses is valid using a stack. Push for opening, pop and match for closing.
Concepts:
Stack, String Parsing, Edge Case Handling
LeetCode Link
Problem 4: Merge Intervals
Hook:
Merging time slots is more common than you think - even Google Calendar does it.
Keywords:
Interval merging, time optimization, sorting
Summary:
Sort intervals by start time and merge overlapping ones in a single linear pass.
Concepts:
Sorting, Interval Logic, Greedy Algorithms
LeetCode Link
Problem 5: Maximum Subarray (Kadane's Algorithm)
Hook:
Find the best moment to jump in and get maximum gain from chaos.
Keywords:
Continuous profit, subarray magic, running sum
Summary:
Use Kadane's Algorithm to find the maximum sum of a contiguous subarray in O(n) time.
Concepts:
Dynamic Programming, Greedy Strategy, Running Max
LeetCode Link
Problem 6: Group Anagrams
Top 10 LeetCode Problems for Amazon SDE-1
Hook:
Different on the surface, identical underneath - like sorted souls.
Keywords:
Anagram detection, character frequency, grouping logic
Summary:
Group strings that are anagrams using a HashMap with either sorted strings or character count tuple
as keys.
Concepts:
HashMap, String Sorting, Character Frequency
LeetCode Link
Problem 7: Top K Frequent Elements
Hook:
What gets repeated gets remembered - or queried in interviews.
Keywords:
Frequency analysis, priority queue, heap magic
Summary:
Find the k most frequent elements in an array using a HashMap and a Heap or Bucket Sort.
Concepts:
Heap, Bucket Sort, Frequency Counting, HashMap
LeetCode Link
Problem 8: Binary Tree Level Order Traversal
Hook:
If trees could talk, this would be their way of introducing themselves - level by level.
Keywords:
Layered structure, BFS traversal, tree architecture
Summary:
Use a queue to perform Breadth-First Search (BFS) and return nodes level-by-level.
Top 10 LeetCode Problems for Amazon SDE-1
Concepts:
Queue, BFS, Binary Trees, Level-wise Traversal
LeetCode Link
Problem 9: Find All Anagrams in a String
Hook:
Spotting hidden patterns is a superpower - this is your training.
Keywords:
Pattern matching, window sliding, frequency check
Summary:
Find all start indices of anagram substrings using a sliding window and character frequency arrays.
Concepts:
Sliding Window, Frequency Map, String Matching
LeetCode Link
Problem 10: LRU Cache
Hook:
Design meets performance - build what browsers and systems use every day.
Keywords:
Cache eviction, recent access, data structure design
Summary:
Implement an LRU (Least Recently Used) Cache using a combination of HashMap and Doubly
Linked List to achieve O(1) get and put operations.
Concepts:
Design, HashMap + Linked List, O(1) Operations, System Design Basics
LeetCode Link
