Cracking the Coding Interview

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Gayle Laakmann McDowell

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 Cracking the Coding Interview
Mastering Coding Interviews with Key Problems
and Solutions.
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About the book
"Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions
and Solutions" by Gayle Laakmann McDowell is an essential
guide for anyone preparing for coding interviews at top tech
companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft. This
comprehensive book presents a variety of common computer
science problems, along with detailed solutions and strategies
for effectively tackling them during the high-pressure
environment of a whiteboard interview. With a focus on
practical problem-solving techniques, it equips readers with
the skills needed to excel in their technical interviews and land
their dream job in the tech industry.

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About the author
Gayle Laakmann McDowell is a respected author, software
engineer, and interview coach, best known for her book
"Cracking the Coding Interview," which has become an
essential resource for aspiring software engineers preparing for
technical interviews. With a background in computer science
from the University of Michigan and experience at leading
tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple, she
combines technical expertise with practical insights into the
hiring process. Her guidance has helped thousands of
candidates navigate the complexities of coding interviews,
making her a sought-after voice in the tech community.
Beyond her book, McDowell has created an impactful online
presence, including a popular website and coaching services
aimed at demystifying the interview experience and fostering
success in the tech industry.

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Summary Content List
Chapter 1 : 1. The Interview Process

Chapter 2 : 2. Behind the Scenes

Chapter 3 : 3. Special Situations

Chapter 4 : 4. Before the Interview

Chapter 5 : 5. Behavioral Questions

Chapter 6 : 6. Big O

Chapter 7 : 7. Technical Questions

Chapter 8 : 8. The Offer and Beyond

Chapter 9 : 9. Interview Questions

Chapter 10 : 10 Solutions

Chapter 11 : 11. Advanced Topics

Chapter 12 : 12. Code Library

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 Chapter 1 Summary : 1. The Interview
Process

Section Summary

The Interview Tech companies focus on algorithm and coding problems to assess candidates' problem-solving skills
Process during a 45-minute interview.

Evaluation Criteria Interviewers evaluate candidates on analytical skills, coding skills, technical knowledge, experience,
and culture fit/communication skills.

Common Candidate Candidates question the emphasis on technical questions, which may not reflect real-world skills but
Concerns are seen as proxies for problem-solving abilities.

Importance of Basic Understanding data structures and algorithms is vital for tackling interview questions effectively.
Knowledge

Whiteboard Coding Emphasizes problem-solving and communication of thought processes, though it may not suit all roles
or companies.

Selection of No standardized questions exist; interviewers select from a broad range, leading to occasional
Questions consistency across companies.

Relative Evaluation Candidates are evaluated based on their performance compared to others interviewed rather than on
individual scores alone.

Frequently Asked Delays in feedback post-interview are common, and candidates can reapply after a waiting period
Questions following a rejection.

The Interview Process

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The interview process at many top tech companies heavily
revolves around algorithm and coding problems, which serve
to evaluate candidates' problem-solving abilities. Candidates
are often expected to solve one problem during a 45-minute
interview, requiring them to articulate their thought process
clearly.

Evaluation Criteria

Interviewers assess candidates based on several factors:

-
Analytical Skills:
Includes need for assistance, solution optimality, and
problem structuring.
-
Coding Skills:
Focuses on translating algorithms into clean, organized code
while considering potential errors.
-
Technical Knowledge:
A solid foundation in computer science fundamentals and
relevant tech is essential.
-

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Experience:
Prior projects and technical decisions impact evaluations.
-
Culture Fit/Communication Skills:
Alignment with company values and clarity in
communication during the interview is crucial.
The emphasis on these areas can vary depending on the role
and company.

Common Candidate Concerns

Candidates often question why the interview process is

designed as it is, particularly the reliance on technical
questions. While some argue these questions don't translate
to real-world skills, interviewers may view them as proxies
for evaluating a candidate's problem-solving capabilities.
There is also an acceptance of false negatives in
hiring—prioritizing the avoidance of false positives.

Importance of Basic Knowledge

Understanding basic data structures and algorithms can be

beneficial, as these concepts often underpin problem-solving
questions in interviews. Familiarity with these basics can

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provide a candidate with essential tools for tackling various
challenges.

Whiteboard Coding

Whiteboard coding focuses on problem-solving rather than

perfect syntax. It allows candidates to communicate their
thought processes more freely, although it may not be
suitable for every company or role.

Selection of Questions

There is no standardized list of questions across companies;

instead, interviewers choose from a broad range of problems.
Thus, questions may remain consistent over years and across
similar companies.

Relative Evaluation

Interviewers evaluate candidates' performances relative to

others they've interviewed, not purely based on individual
scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Candidates should not panic if they do not hear back
immediately after an interview, as delays can occur for
various reasons. Additionally, reapplying after a rejection is
generally allowed after waiting a prescribed period.

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Example
Key Point:Articulate your thought process during
coding interviews.
Example:Imagine you're in an interview, facing a
coding problem on a whiteboard. As you begin to
outline your approach, you verbalize each step. For
instance, you might say, 'First, I’ll identify the data
structures that will help me manage the input efficiently,
like using a hash map for quick lookups.' By explaining
your reasoning, you not only showcase your analytical
skills but also demonstrate your ability to communicate
clearly under pressure—key traits that interviewers are
keen to assess.

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Critical Thinking
Key Point:The emphasis on technical proficiency
during interviews may not accurately reflect a
candidate's overall capabilities.
Critical Interpretation:While 'Cracking the Coding
Interview' highlights the importance of traditional
coding and algorithm questions, this practice can be
critiqued for potentially overlooking essential soft skills
and real-world applications of technical knowledge. As
some HR experts argue, the pressures of whiteboard
coding sessions do not replicate the collaborative
environments where developers typically work, thus,
implying that the interview process may not be a
holistic measure of a candidate's future performance
(Kahn, 2011). Candidates are often reduced to their
technical prowess, possibly underestimating their
capacity for teamwork, adaptability, and
communication, which are equally crucial in
professional settings.

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 Chapter 2 Summary : 2. Behind the
Scenes

Section Details

Overview of Starts with screening interviews, often over the phone, including technical questions. Candidates
Interview Process should clarify the technical nature based on the interviewer's role.

Types of Interviews

Screening Interviews: 1-2 interviews before on-site, may require coding on paper/editors.
On-Site Interviews: Multiple in-person interviews (3-6), including a non-technical lunch and
various technical assessments.

Feedback and Interviewers provide feedback that influences hiring decisions. Companies usually communicate
Decision Process decisions within a week, though delays can occur.

Microsoft Interview Includes a recruiter phone screen and multiple technical interviews; candidates should show
enthusiasm for technology and coding skills.

Amazon Interview Starts with a phone screen; coding in editors is emphasized with a focus on scalability and design. A
"Bar Raiser" ensures high standards.

Google Interview Begins with a technical phone screen followed by on-site interviews evaluated by a hiring committee;
preparation for system design and analytical questions is necessary.

Apple Interview Involves several technical phone screens and 6-8 on-site interviews; communication is key during
coding, and enthusiasm for Apple products is beneficial.

Facebook Interview Includes one or two technical phone screens and homework; interviews are role-based, focusing on
behavioral, coding, and design skills.

Palantir Interview Starts with technical phone screens, followed by challenging on-site interviews assessing algorithms
and relevant knowledge; passion for the company is vital.

Preparation Tips Know the technical expectations and culture, prepare with coding challenges, review algorithms, and
Across Companies show enthusiasm for technology trends relevant to the company.

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Behind the Scenes of Technical Interviews

Overview of Interview Process

Most companies have similar interviewing methods, often

starting with a screening interview, usually conducted over
the phone. This can also involve technical coding and
algorithm questions, particularly for candidates from top
schools. Candidates should inquire about the interview’s
technical nature based on the interviewer’s position.

Types of Interviews

1.
Screening Interviews
: Generally one or two screening interviews precede on-site
interviews, where candidates may need to write code on
paper or in shared document editors.
2.
On-Site Interviews
: Involves multiple in-person interviews (3-6), including a
non-technical lunch interview focused on the company's

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culture. Technical interviews cover coding, algorithms,
design/architecture, and behavioral questions.

Feedback and Decision Process

Post-interview, interviewers provide feedback that can

influence hiring decisions made through meetings,
recommendations, or committees. Companies typically
communicate decisions within a week, but delays are
common.

Company-Specific Interview Insights

Microsoft Interview

- Involves a recruiter phone screen followed by multiple

technical interviews.
- Interactions may happen in the interviewers' offices,
providing insight into team culture.
- Candidates should express passion for technology, with a
focus on coding ability.

Amazon Interview

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- Begins with a phone screen for specific teams, potentially
leading to multiple interviews for further assessment.
- Interviews often involve coding on document editors, with
emphasis on scalability and object-oriented design.
- The “Bar Raiser” ensures high standards and is involved in
hiring decisions.

Google Interview

- Starts with a technical phone screen, followed by on-site

interviews without shared feedback during the process.
- Candidates should prepare for system design and analytical
questions, as interviews are evaluated by a hiring committee.

Apple Interview

- Consists of a series of technical phone screens and 6-8

on-site interviews.
- Communication of thoughts is critical during coding
exercises, and having a passion for Apple products is
encouraged.

Facebook Interview

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- Involves one or two technical phone screens and homework
assignments.
- Interviews follow a role-based format assessing behavioral,
coding, and design skills.
- Enthusiasm for building and problem-solving is essential.

Palantir Interview

- Starts with technical phone screens followed by on-site

interviews with multiple team members.
- Questions may be particularly challenging, focusing on
algorithms and relevant domain knowledge.
- Passion for the company and product demonstration is
important.

Preparation Tips Across Companies

- Understand the specific technical expectations and culture

of the company.
- Prepare thoroughly with coding challenges and review core
algorithms and data structures.
- Show enthusiasm for the role and a strong grasp of
technology trends relevant to the company.

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Example
Key Point:Understanding the interview process is
essential for success in coding interviews.
Example:Imagine you're gearing up for an interview
with a top tech company. You begin by preparing
yourself to excel in a screening phone interview, where
you might be asked to solve coding challenges live.
Realizing that most companies follow a similar structure
really helps you streamline your preparation, allowing
you to practice coding problems effectively while
anticipating potential in-person technical interviews.
Additionally, you recognize the importance of
showcasing your passion for technology during these
interactions, understanding that not only technical skills
are assessed but also how well you fit within the
company culture. Knowing what to expect ultimately
boosts your confidence and fosters a strategic approach
in tackling each stage of the interview process.

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Critical Thinking
Key Point:The interview process is heavily
standardized across major tech companies,
emphasizing technical skills.
Critical Interpretation:While the author advocates for a
structured approach to technical interviews, it's crucial
to recognize that such a uniform model may not suit
every candidate or reflect their true potential. This
perspective raises questions regarding the validity of
such interview practices, as opposed to alternative
methods that may prioritize diverse skill sets and
experiences. Research by sources like the Harvard
Business Review and LinkedIn has highlighted the
importance of holistic candidate evaluations that go
beyond technical proficiency and gauge critical
thinking, communication skills, and creativity in
problem-solving. Thus, while 'Cracking the Coding
Interview' presents a helpful framework for popular tech
company interviews, readers should consider the
limitations of its recommendations and explore varied
approaches that may better showcase individual
capabilities.

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Chapter 3 Summary : 3. Special
Situations

Special Situations

There are various circumstances that lead individuals to refer

to this book, including experienced candidates, testers, and
those wanting to improve their interviewing techniques. Here
are insights tailored for each group.

Experienced Candidates

-
Algorithm Questions:
While often associated with recent graduates,
algorithm-style questions are also applicable to experienced
candidates. Companies may ask these questions to assess
essential problem-solving skills.
-
Evaluation Standards:
Interviewers may hold experienced candidates to different
standards based on their years of experience and exposure to

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diverse problems, particularly in system design and
architecture.

Testers and SDETs

-
Preparation Strategies:

- Focus on core testing problems (e.g., testing everyday

items).
- Practice coding questions similar to those for developers.
- Additionally, think about testing strategies for your coding
solutions.
-
Career Advice:
Transitioning from an SDET role to a developer position can
be challenging, so it’s important to keep coding skills sharp.

Product and Program Management

PMInstall Bookey
roles vary App across
significantly to Unlock Full
companies: Text and
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Key Skills Assessed:

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Chapter 4 Summary : 4. Before the
Interview

Before the Interview

Acing an interview begins well before the actual interview

process. This guide outlines critical steps to take, especially
if you're just starting your journey.

Getting the Right Experience

To secure an interview, you need a strong resume, which is

built on solid experience. Steps to gain relevant experience
include:
-
Take Big Project Classes:
Engage in classes focused on significant coding projects for
practical experience.
-
Get an Internship:
Pursue internships early in your academic career, especially
in tech and startups.

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-
Start Personal Projects:
Work on personal coding projects, participate in hackathons,
or contribute to open-source initiatives to enhance your skills
and initiative.

For Professionals: Transitioning Roles

If you're moving from a lesser-known company or a different

role into a desirable position, consider the following:
-
Shift Work Responsibilities:
Seek out opportunities to take on more coding projects
without alerting your current manager about a potential job
change.
-
Utilize Free Time:
Use evenings and weekends to develop software or mobile
apps to remain relevant and add to your experience.

Writing a Great Resume

Your resume must demonstrate that you're smart and capable

of coding:

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-
Appropriate Length:
Aim for a one-page resume if you have less than ten years of
experience; prioritizing shorter resumes often yields better
impressions.
-
Employment History:
Focus on relevant positions rather than an exhaustive job
history.
-
Strong Bullets:
Highlight accomplishments using the formula
"Accomplished X by implementing Y, which led to Z."

Projects Section on Resume

Develop a projects section showcasing 2-4 significant

projects, detailing technologies used. Independent projects
are preferred for showing initiative.

Programming Languages and Software

Be selective about listing software, excluding common tools

like Microsoft Office. Focus on programming languages you

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are comfortable with and clearly indicate your level of
expertise.

Preparation Map

A timeline for interview preparation includes:

1. Build projects outside of school/work and learn multiple
programming languages.
2. College students should seek internships and classes with
substantial projects.
3. Create a resume draft for review.
4. Master data structures and algorithms while forming mock
interview groups.

Final Steps

As the interview approaches:

- Conduct final mock interviews.
- Practice coding questions and rehearse personal anecdotes!
- Stay positive and proactive with follow-ups post-interview.
Focus on consistent practice and proactive engagement with
potential employers for successful outcomes in your job
search.

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Example
Key Point:Consistent practice is key to success in
interviews.
Example:Imagine you're preparing for an upcoming
coding interview, sitting at your desk surrounded by
notes and coding resources. You set specific goals:
every day, you'll spend one hour practicing data
structures and algorithms. You also join an online
coding group, engaging in mock interviews with peers
who provide feedback and support. By the time the
interview day arrives, you've built confidence and
sharpened your skills through this daily commitment,
positioning yourself as a strong candidate.

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 Chapter 5 Summary : 5. Behavioral
Questions
Section Summary

Behavioral Questions Crucial for understanding personality and resume insights; preparation is key.

Interview Preparation Map out resume aspects against behavioral questions covering projects, challenges, mistakes,
Grid leadership, conflicts, and improvements.

Discussing Weaknesses Present a genuine weakness and explain efforts to overcome it.

Questions to Ask the Prepare questions demonstrating interest and insight into technology; categorize into genuine,
Interviewer insightful, and passion questions.

Know Your Technical Master details of 2-3 key technical projects you contributed to, including challenges and
Projects decisions.

Responding to Behavioral Be specific and structured in answers; focus on individual contributions using techniques like
Questions "Nugget First" and S.A.R.

Telling Your Story Introduce yourself chronologically, emphasizing highlights and hobbies to make a strong
impression.

Understanding Big O Key concept for algorithm efficiency; focus on common runtimes, performance bounds, and
Notation memory requirements.

Concepts to Note Drop constants, ignore non-dominant terms, and understand amortized time for performance
analysis.

Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions are essential in interviews as they help

employers understand your personality and delve deeper into
your resume. Preparing for these questions can significantly
ease the interview process.

Interview Preparation Grid

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Prepare a grid to map out major aspects of your resume
against common behavioral questions. This grid should
include:
- Projects
- Challenges
- Mistakes/Failures
- Leadership
- Conflicts
- What You'd Do Differently
This allows you to summarize key points and can serve as a
reference during the interview.

Discussing Weaknesses

When asked about weaknesses, it's vital to present a genuine

weakness and explain how you work to overcome it. For
example, acknowledging a lack of attention to detail, but
mentioning that you always have someone double-check
your work.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Prepare questions to ask the interviewer that showcase

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genuine interest, insightfulness regarding technology, and
passion for learning. Possible question types include:
1.
Genuine Questions:
Inquire about team dynamics and job roles.
2.
Insightful Questions:
Show your understanding of the company's technologies.
3.
Passion Questions:
Discuss opportunities for growth and learning within the
company.

Know Your Technical Projects

Focus on mastering details about two to three technical

projects where you played a central role. Be prepared to
discuss the challenges faced, mistakes made, and technical
decisions involved.

Responding to Behavioral Questions

When answering behavioral questions:

1.

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Be Specific, Not Arrogant:
Provide precise examples without exaggerating your role.
2.
Limit Details:
Focus on key aspects for clarity.
3.
Focus on Yourself:
Highlight individual contributions rather than team efforts.
4.
Give Structured Answers:
Use techniques like "Nugget First" and S.A.R. (Situation,
Action, Result) to clearly convey your experiences.

Telling Your Story

When asked to introduce yourself, structure your narrative

chronologically and wrap up with hobbies that showcase
your personality. Emphasize highlights and successes to
leave a strong impression.

Understanding Big O Notation

Big O notation describes the efficiency of algorithms in

terms of time complexity. Mastering this concept is vital to

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avoid misunderstandings during technical assessments. Key
points include:
1.
Common Runtimes:
O(1), O(N), O(log N), O(N log N), O(N^2).
2.
Best Case/Worst Case:
Different scenarios define the performance bounds of
algorithms.
3.
Space Complexity:
Memory requirements of algorithms are also critical, often
analyzed in tandem with time complexity.

Concepts to Note

- Drop constants when discussing runtimes.

- Non-dominant terms can be ignored to simplify
expressions.
- Amortized time captures average performance for
operations that could incur infrequent high costs, such as
resizing an array list.
Use these guidelines to prepare effectively for behavioral
interviews and to convey your technical understanding
confidently.

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Critical Thinking
Key Point:The importance of preparation for
behavioral interview questions.
Critical Interpretation:The chapter emphasizes that
preparing for behavioral questions can substantially ease
the interview process, yet one must question if this
approach universally builds rapport or merely masks
deeper inadequacies in interpersonal skills. While many
hire by questioning personality traits to gauge a
candidate's fit, the reliance on structured answers can
lead to rehearsed personas rather than authentic
representation. Scholars like Richard H. Thaler (in
*Nudge*) and Dan Ariely (in *Predictably Irrational*)
argue that human unpredictability cannot be fully
captured through prepared statements, suggesting that
engaging in genuine discussions and reflections often
yield more accurate insights into a candidate's potential.

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Chapter 6 Summary : 6. Big O

Example Analysis of Runtime Complexity

Example 1: Simple Sum and Product

- Code iterates through an array twice to compute sum and

product.
- Time Complexity:
O(N)

Example 2: Printing All Pairs

- Nested loops iterate through the same array leading to

quadratic growth.
- Time Complexity:
O(N^2)

Example 3: Printing Unordered Pairs

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- Similar to the previous example but avoids duplicate pairs.
- Total pairs count is halved, but remains quadratic.
- Time Complexity:
O(N^2)

Example 4: Unordered Pairs from Two Arrays

- Two loops iterate through two different arrays but with

distinct sizes.
- Time Complexity:
O(a*b)
where a and b are lengths of the arrays.

Example 5: Nested Loops with Constants

- Inner loop runs a constant number of times.

- Time Complexity:
O(N)
where N is the outer loop's iterations.

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Example App to
Array Reversal Unlock Full Text and
Audio
- Iterates half of the array length, but still processes every

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Chapter 7 Summary : 7. Technical
Questions

Chapter 7: Technical Questions

Overview of Technical Questions

Technical questions are pivotal in interviews at leading tech

companies and can be intimidating. However, there are
logical methods to approach them.

How to Prepare

1.
Practice Solving Problems:
Rather than simply reading problems and solutions, engage
actively with the material by attempting to solve problems on
your own.
2.
Write Code on Paper:
Familiarize yourself with coding on paper, as it reflects the

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conditions of an interview without the aids of syntax
highlighting or debugging.
3.
Test Your Code:
Validate your solution by testing various cases even on
paper.
4.
Mock Interviews:
Practice mock interviews with a friend to simulate the real
interview environment.

What You Need to Know

Familiarity with core data structures (like Linked Lists,

Trees, and Graphs) and algorithms (such as Sorting and
Recursion) is critical. Candidates should grasp how to
implement these structures with a keen awareness of time
and space complexities.

Powers of 2 Table

Memorizing or understanding the power of 2 values can

assist in calculations related to scalability and memory
constraints.

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Walking Through a Problem

Follow a methodical flowchart to solve problems by listening

closely, drawing examples, stating brute-force solutions, and
optimizing these solutions carefully.

What to Expect in Interviews

Interviews can often be challenging; it's essential to remain

calm, listen carefully, and utilize all problem details.
Drawing examples can clarify your understanding and reveal
patterns.

Key Steps in Problem Solving

1.
Listen Carefully:
Absorb critical details from the description.
2.
Draw Examples:
Sketch examples to facilitate solving problems.
3.
State a Brute Force Solution:

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 Offer an initial non-optimal solution to demonstrate
engagement.
4.
Optimize the Solution:
Look out for bottlenecks, unnecessary work, and
duplications in your algorithm.
5.
Walk Through the Solution:
Understand fully before coding.
6.
Implement the Code:
Write clean and modular code to enhance readability and
maintenance.
7.
Test the Code:
Conduct thorough testing using both conceptual and edge
cases.

Optimization Techniques

-
Look for BUD (Bottlenecks, Unnecessary,
Duplicated Work):
Identify inefficiencies in your code.

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-
DIY (Do It Yourself):
Solve intuitively using examples.
-
Simplify and Generalize:
Tackle a simplified version before applying to the complex
one.
-
Data Structure Brainstorming:
Consider various data structures to find optimal solutions.
-
Consider the Best Conceivable Runtime (BCR):
Understand limitations of the runtime and strive for
efficiency.

Handling Incorrect Answers

Mistakes in interviews are common, and interviewers assess

solutions not merely on correctness, but also on
problem-solving approaches and coding elegance.

The Perfect Language for Interviews

Choose a programming language you are comfortable with

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that balances readability, ease of use, and robustness.

What Good Coding Looks Like

Good code is correct, efficient, simple, readable,

maintainable, and validates input effectively. Candidates are
encouraged to modularize, check errors, and take
constructive risks in coding.

Don't Give Up

Adopting a positive mindset in the face of challenges

demonstrates resilience, which is highly valued in interview
settings.

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Chapter 8 Summary : 8. The Offer and
Beyond

VIII The Offer and Beyond

Just when you thought you could sit back and relax after your
interviews, you're faced with post-interview stress: Should
you accept the offer? Is it the right one? How do you decline
an offer? What about deadlines? This chapter addresses these
issues, providing guidance on evaluating and negotiating
offers.

Handling Offers and Rejection

-
Offer Deadlines and Extensions
: There's usually a deadline when a company extends an
offer, typically one to four weeks. You can request an
extension if you're waiting to hear back from other
companies.
-
Declining an Offer

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: It’s important to decline gracefully and maintain
communication for future opportunities. Provide a
non-offensive reason for your decision.
-
Handling Rejection
: Rejection doesn’t define your abilities. Most companies
understand that interviews are imperfect. If rejected, thank
the recruiter and inquire about re-application opportunities
while asking for feedback if possible.

Evaluating the Offer

Congratulations on receiving an offer! If you have multiple

offers, your recruiter will likely encourage you to accept one.
Consider the following points while evaluating an offer:
-
The Financial Package
: Analyze the total compensation, not just salary. Include
signing bonuses, relocation perks, cost of living differences,
annual bonuses, and stock options.
-
Career Development
: Assess the company's impact on your career trajectory by
considering its reputation, learning opportunities, promotion

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plans, management pathways, and proximity to other
companies.
-
Company Stability
: Stability can be an important factor, but consider your
personal risk tolerance regarding job security and growth
potential.
-
The Happiness Factor
: Work culture, teammates, managers, and overall job
satisfaction heavily influence your happiness. Consider how
these factors align with your lifestyle and values.

Negotiation

Negotiating your offer can significantly impact your

compensation. Here are some tips:
1.
Just Do It
: Don't shy away from negotiating; it's expected and can be
beneficial.
2.
Have a Viable Alternative
: Backup offers create leverage in negotiations.

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3.
Have a Specific Ask
: Rather than asking for "more," specify how much more.
4.
Overshoot
: Ask for a bit more than you expect to meet in the middle.
5.
Think Beyond Salary
: Explore options for non-salary benefits like bonuses and
relocation packages.
6.
Use Your Best Medium
: Negotiate in the medium you're most comfortable with—be
it phone or email.

On the Job

Your career does not end with accepting an offer. Consider

the following for career advancement:
-
Set a Timeline
: Continuously monitor your career progress and set
milestones for where you want to be in the future.

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-
Build Strong Relationships
: Cultivate relationships within and outside your workplace
to create valuable connections for future career moves.
-
Ask for What You Want
: Be proactive in discussing your career goals with your
manager, seeking out challenges that align with your
aspirations.
-
Keep Interviewing
: Practice your interview skills regularly to stay aware of job
market trends and opportunities, even if you're not actively
looking for a new job.
By following this guidance, you can navigate offers and
career paths effectively, ensuring both immediate success and
long-term fulfillment.

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Critical Thinking
Key Point:Importance of Evaluating Job Offers
Beyond Salary
Critical Interpretation:The chapter emphasizes the
necessity of evaluating job offers on multiple
dimensions, such as company culture, stability, and
growth potential, rather than merely focusing on the
salary. While the author's perspective advocates for a
comprehensive approach to making career decisions, it's
crucial for readers to recognize that personal values and
individual circumstances can vastly alter what might be
deemed 'optimal.' For example, according to research by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job satisfaction often
correlates more significantly with workplace culture
than position or financial compensation. Therefore,
what may be sound advice for one person may not apply
universally, urging readers to tailor their decisions to
their unique situations.

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Chapter 9 Summary : 9. Interview
Questions

Chapter 9 Summary from "Cracking the Coding

Interview"

Interview Questions IX

1. Arrays and Strings

- Focused on common techniques and issues with arrays and

strings.
- Array and string questions are typically interchangeable.

Hash Tables:

- A hash table maps keys to values for efficient lookup.

- Simple implementation using an array of linked lists and a
hash code function.
- The worst-case complexity is O(N) with high collisions, but

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generally O(1) with good implementations.
- Alternative implementations like balanced binary search
trees can achieve O(log N) lookup time.

ArrayList & Resizable Arrays:

- In some languages, lists are automatically resizable.

- Java’s `ArrayList` doubles the size when full, offering O(1)
average insertion time despite O(n) at worst.

StringBuilder:

- Concatenating strings using `+` can lead to O(n^2) time due

to frequent copying. Use `StringBuilder` to optimize.

Basic Interview Questions:

- Is Unique, Check Permutation, URLify, Palindrome

Permutation among various algorithm questions.

Linked Lists:
Install Bookey App to Unlock Full Text and
- A linked list is a sequenceAudio
of nodes, either singly or doubly
linked.

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Chapter 10 Summary : 10 Solutions

Chapter 10 Summary: Solutions to Arrays and

Strings and Related Topics

Solutions Overview

This chapter provides a collection of solutions to common

programming interview questions related to arrays, strings,
and other data structures. It covers multiple approaches
including brute force, optimized algorithms, and concepts in
bit manipulation. Each solution demonstrates coding
strategies while emphasizing clarity, efficiency, and
problem-solving techniques.

1. Is Unique

- Implement an algorithm to check if a string has all unique

characters.
- Solutions include using a boolean array or a bit vector and
checking for duplicates through direct comparisons.
- Efficiency in terms of time (O(n)) and space is discussed.

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2. Check Permutation

- Write a method to determine if one string is a permutation

of another.
- Two main approaches: sorting both strings or using
character counts through frequency arrays.

3. URLify

- Replace spaces in a string with '%20' while assuming

sufficient buffer at the end.
- Suggested solution uses two passes; first counts spaces,
then makes replacements in reverse order.

4. Palindrome Permutation

- Determine if a string can rearrange to form a palindrome.

- The algorithm checks character frequency, allowing at most
one character with an odd count.

5. One Away

- Check if two strings are one edit away (insert, remove,

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replace).
- Recommend using the method of character comparison
based on string lengths to determine operations.

6. String Compression

- Implement a method to compress a string based on

consecutive character counts.
- Efficiency enhanced by using StringBuilder for string
manipulation.

7. Rotate Matrix

- Rotate an NxN matrix 90 degrees in place.

- Uses an algorithm operating layer by layer for optimal
performance.

8. Zero Matrix

- Set the entire row and column to zero if any element is zero.
- Initially suggested using a secondary matrix, optimized to
use the first row and column as flags to save space.

9. String Rotation

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- Check if one string is a rotation of another substring-wise.
- Utilizes the concept of concatenation and substring
checking.

10. Remove Dups

- Remove duplicates from an unsorted linked list using a

HashSet for optimal time complexity.

11. Return Kth to Last

- Find the kth to last element of a singly linked list using both
iterative and recursive methods.

12. Palindrome

- Check if a linked list is a palindrome using reversed

comparison or stack-based methods.

13. Check Balanced

- Evaluate if a binary tree is height-balanced by checking

subtree height differences.

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14. Validate BST

- Check if a binary tree satisfies BST properties using

in-order traversal for efficiency.

15. First Common Ancestor

- Find the first common ancestor of two nodes in a binary

tree, requiring deep understanding of parent-child
relationships.

16. Paths with Sum

- Count paths in a binary tree that sum to a specific target

value, using HashMap to track sums through recursive
traversal.

17. Jukebox Design

- Design a jukebox system simulation based on

object-oriented principles, focusing on user interaction,
playlist management, and song playback.

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Overall Conceptual Takeaways

- Approach problems systematically by breaking them down

and considering both brute-force and optimized solutions.
- Always clarify assumptions with interviewers regarding
problem constraints.
- Understand the nuances of algorithmic efficiency to
promote clear and maintainable code.
This chapter serves as a robust resource for prepping
interviews focused on data structures, algorithms, and
efficient coding practices.

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Chapter 11 Summary : 11. Advanced
Topics

Chapter 11: Advanced Topics

Introduction

The chapter discusses the inclusion and relevance of

advanced topics in coding interviews, highlighting the
balance between learning useful concepts and focusing on
frequently asked ones.

Useful Math

Basic mathematical concepts are presented that can aid in

solving coding problems, emphasizing intuition over formal
proofs.

Sum of Integers

Describes the formula for the sum of the first n integers and

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explains its application in nested loops with an example.

Sum of Powers of 2

Introduces the sequence of powers of two and derives the

sum, showing it converging to \(2^{n+1} - 1\).

Bases of Logs

Discusses how logarithmic conversions between different

bases work and highlights that the base generally doesn't
affect the Big O notation in algorithms.

Permutations and Combinations

Explains the concepts of permutations of n unique characters

and the formula for combinations, specifically n choose k.

Proof by Induction

Outlines the principle of mathematical induction and uses it

to demonstrate the existence of subsets in a set.

Topological Sort

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Covers how to perform a topological sorting on directed
graphs, including applications like assembly line tasks.

Dijkstra's Algorithm

Describes Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest paths

in weighted graphs, detailing the structure of the algorithm
and its use cases.

Hash Table Collision Resolution

Explains hash table implementations and common strategies

for resolving collisions, including chaining and open
addressing methods.

Rabin-Karp Substring Search

Presents the Rabin-Karp algorithm for substring searching

within a larger string and highlights its efficiency through
hashing.

AVL Trees

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Discusses AVL trees, a form of self-balancing binary search
tree, focusing on their properties and insertion methods.

Red-Black Trees

Examines red-black trees, another self-balancing tree variant,

covering their properties and how they maintain balance
during insertions.

MapReduce

Explains the MapReduce framework for processing large

datasets and breaks down its Map and Reduce steps with an
example.

Additional Studying

Lists various advanced algorithm topics and concepts that

readers can explore further to enhance their understanding of
data structures and algorithms.

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Chapter 12 Summary : 12. Code Library

Chapter 12 Summary: Code Library

Introduction

This chapter serves as a repository for useful code patterns

and snippets encountered throughout the book "Cracking the
Coding Interview." While full code solutions are included
within solutions, some redundancies led to this dedicated
section.

HashMapList Class

- A concise representation of a HashMap that allows

mapping from an item of type T to a list of type E.
- Example: Mapping integers to lists of strings simplifies
code.

TreeNode Class (Binary Search Tree)

- A custom implementation of a tree node that tracks data,

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left, right, and parent nodes.
- Aimed at providing access to tree internals for flexible use
across various problems.

LinkedListNode Class (Linked List)

- A custom linked list node that contains references to the

next and previous nodes, allowing for deep manipulation.
- This structure is commonly utilized when built-in linked
lists do not provide sufficient access control.

Trie & TrieNode Classes

- Implementation of a trie, a specialized tree structure to

efficiently store and retrieve words based on their prefixes.
- Designed for quick prefix-based searches, broadly used in
applications like autocomplete.

Other Essential Functions and Classes

- Various additional functions and data structures are

Install
included Bookey
to handle App programming
frequent to Unlock Full
tasks Text and
like tree
Audio
searching, linked list operations, and mapping relationships
among elements.

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Best Quotes from Cracking the Coding
Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
with Page Numbers
View on Bookey Website and Generate Beautiful Quote Images

Chapter 1 | Quotes From Pages 16-19

1.Think of these as problem-solving questions.
2.Your interviewer might jump in sometimes to help you; let
them.
3.Problem-solving skills are valuable.
4.It's not important that you agree with this logic, but it is a
good idea to understand why these questions are being
asked.
5.All interview processes have their downsides. I'll leave you
with this: it is what it is, so let's do the best we can with it.
6.When enough candidates know these basics, it's easy to get
into a pattern of asking questions with them.
Chapter 2 | Quotes From Pages 20-26
1.Don't let the name fool you; the 'screening'
interview often involves coding and algorithms

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 questions, and the bar can be just as high as it is
for in-person interviews.
2.In some companies, interviewers don't even make the
decision; their feedback goes to a hiring committee to make
a decision.
3.If you have waited more than a week, you should follow up
with your recruiter. If your recruiter does not respond, this
does not mean that you are rejected.
4.Expect to cover a bit about your prior experience, with a
heavy focus on algorithm questions.
5.This is a good person to discuss your interests with and to
ask about the company culture.
Chapter 3 | Quotes From Pages 27-37
1.Your performance in such interview questions
would be evaluated with respect to your
experience level.
2.Make sure to keep your coding and algorithms skills very
sharp if you hope to make this move, and try to switch
within one to two years.

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3.Interviewers want to see that your attitude is
customer-focused.
4.Happy employees are productive employees, so a company
wants to make sure that you'll enjoy the job and be excited
about your work.
5.Your interviewer is looking to see that you handle conflicts
well, that you take initiative, that you understand people,
and that people like working with you.

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Chapter 4 | Quotes From Pages 38-43
1.Acing an interview starts well before the interview
itself—years before, in fact.
2.Without a great resume, there's no interview. And without
great experience, there's no great resume.
3.The important thing is that you're coding. Not only will this
develop your technical skills and practical experience, your
initiative will impress companies.
4.Recruiters only spend a fixed amount of time (about 10
seconds) looking at your resume.
5.If you limit the content to the most impressive items, the
recruiter is sure to see them.
6.Your love of tennis, traveling, or magic cards won't do
much to show that you’re smart and that you can code.
7.Show what you did, how you did it, and what the results
were.
8.The most important thing is that you're building something.
9.Do not add too many projects. Many candidates make the
mistake of adding all 13 of their prior projects, cluttering

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 their resume with small, non-impressive projects.
10.Stumbling and struggling is normal!
Chapter 5 | Quotes From Pages 44-57
1.Behavioral questions allow your interviewer to get
to know you and your prior experience better.
2.Be specific, not arrogant.
3.Give structured answers.
4.Assume that every question is about your role, and speak to
that.
5.Master this concept (Big O).
Chapter 6 | Quotes From Pages 58-71
1.Deep comprehension is important.
2.You can't rely on just memorizing common runtimes.
3.The fact that it only goes through half of the array...does
not impact the big O time.
4.If you said O(N²), then remember your mistake for the
future.
5.There are N1 total pairs... it takes O(N²) time.
6.You can prevent this error by either not using the variable

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 "N" at all...
7.This technique, called memoization, is a very common one
to optimize exponential time recursive algorithms.
8.The runtime of this code is O(N) time, where N is the
number of nodes.
9.Each time N doubles, the number of calls to powersOfTwo
increases by 1.
10.When you see an algorithm with multiple recursive calls,
you're looking at exponential runtime.

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Chapter 7 | Quotes From Pages 72-93
1.When you're solving a problem, make sure to
think about the space and time efficiency.
2.Your first algorithm doesn't need to use the information.
But if you find yourself stuck, ask yourself if you've used
all the information in the problem.
3.When you find bugs (and you probably will), you should,
of course, fix them. But don't just make the first correction
you think of. Instead, carefully analyze why the bug
occurred and ensure that your fix is the best one.
4.It's important to practice solving problems. Memorizing
solutions won't help you much.
5.Don't worry about developing an efficient algorithm yet.
State a naive algorithm and its runtime, then optimize from
there.
6.Do a conceptual test. A conceptual test means just reading
and analyzing what each line of code does.
7.Listen carefully to the problem and be sure that you’ve
mentally recorded any unique information in the problem

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 description.
8.One of the most pervasive—and dangerous—rumors is that
candidates need to get every question right. That's not quite
true.
9.If you’ve heard a question before, admit this to your
interviewer.
10.It's important that you step up and eagerly meet a tricky
problem head-on.
Chapter 8 | Quotes From Pages 94-98
1.Remember, though, that what you learn and how a
company advances your career often makes far
more of a difference to your long term finances
than the salary.
2.When you decline an offer, provide a reason that is
non-offensive and inarguable.
3.Negotiation isn't fun for most of us. But still, the financial
benefits of negotiation are usually worth it.
4.If you only have a few other companies to pick from in
your city, your career options will be more restricted.

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5.Your network will be critical. After all, applying online is
tricky; a personal referral is much better...
Chapter 9 | Quotes From Pages 99-202
1.The goal in these problems is to be able to
understand use cases, scope a problem, make
reasonable assumptions, create a solid design
based on those assumptions, and be open about the
weaknesses of your design.
2.A good interviewer won't demand that you code in a
language you don't profess to know.
3.There is no perfect system. There is no single design for
TinyURL or Google Maps or any other system that works
perfectly. There are always tradeoffs.
4.If we want to ensure that the Student's implementation of
aboutMe is called, we can define aboutMe in the Person
class to be virtual.
5.We can reduce our space usage by a factor of eight by using
a bit vector.
6.The Merge method operates by copying all the elements

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from the target array segment into a helper array, keeping
track of where the start of the left and right halves should
be.

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Chapter 10 | Quotes From Pages 203-640
1.After all, you can't form a string of 280 unique
characters out of a 128-character alphabet.
2.In a balanced binary tree, d will be no more than
approximately log N.
3.At each node, we recursively get the heights of the left and
right subtrees through the checkHeight method.
4.If the last stack is empty, then we want to transfer all
elements from stackNewest into this stack in reverse order.
5.A simple approach is to divide the bottles across the 10 test
strips, first in groups of 100.
6.The solution takes O(P + D) time, where P is the number of
projects and D is the number of dependency pairs.
7.If there are two different recursive algorithms that must be
designed and implemented, don't confuse yourself with
how the algorithms should interact with each other.
8.If we don't assume a cycle in the call relationships, we
achieve additional efficiency.
Chapter 11 | Quotes From Pages -656

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1.Ultimately, I decided to leave the decision in your
hands. After all, you know better than I do how
thorough you want to be in your preparation.
2.I believe in giving people a fair expectation of the
interview, not scaring people into excess studying.
3.If you want to see new ways of approaching problems, read
this.
4.I want to evaluate your ability to solve a problem you
haven't seen before.
5.Logs of different bases are only off by a constant factor.
For this reason, we largely ignore what the base of a log is
within a big-O expression.
6.Inductive Step: Prove that if the statement is true for P(n),
then it's true for P(n + 1).
7.If you ask about these topics, you're testing knowledge of
algorithms. You're just going to wind up eliminating a lot
of perfectly smart people.
8.I want to evaluate your ability to solve a problem you
haven't seen before.

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Chapter 12 | Quotes From Pages 657-712
1.It's impossible to totally simulate the interview
experience in a book, but these hints are designed
to get you closer.
2.Struggling is a normal part of the process.
3.Try to solve the questions independently when possible.
But it's okay to look for some help when you are really
struggling.
4.Complete, compilable solutions can be downloaded from
CrackingTheCodinginterview.com.
5.I've organized the hints somewhat randomly here, such that
all the hints for a problem aren't adjacent. This way you
won't accidentally see the second hint when you're reading
the first hint.

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Cracking the Coding Interview
Questions
View on Bookey Website

Chapter 1 | 1. The Interview Process| Q&A

1.Question
What is the primary focus of coding interviews at top tech
companies?
Answer:The primary focus is on evaluating your
problem-solving skills through algorithm and coding
problems that you haven't seen before.

2.Question
Why is it important to explain your thought process
during the interview?
Answer:Explaining your thought process allows the
interviewer to understand your reasoning and
problem-solving approach, and they may offer assistance if
needed.

3.Question
How is a candidate's performance evaluated if there is no
strict grading system?

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Answer:Performance is evaluated relatively. Interviewers
compare your solutions and the time taken to those of other
candidates they have interviewed.

4.Question
Why is basic knowledge of data structures and algorithms
vital for coding interviews?
Answer:Basic knowledge of data structures and algorithms is
crucial because these concepts often form the basis of
problem-solving questions and are good indicators of a
candidate's technical knowledge.

5.Question
What is the rationale behind the whiteboard coding
environment?
Answer:Whiteboard coding allows candidates to focus on the
big picture and their thought process rather than getting
bogged down by syntax errors or minor bugs, as perfect code
isn't expected in that setting.

6.Question
Why might companies accept false negatives in their
interview processes?

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Answer:Companies prioritize avoiding false
positives—hiring candidates that appear capable but do not
deliver. They accept that some good candidates may be
rejected in the process.

7.Question
What does it mean when candidates ask for 'recent
interview questions'?
Answer:It indicates a misunderstanding; interview questions
vary by interviewer and are not standardized across the
company. Therefore, what's 'recent' can be quite arbitrary.

8.Question
How should candidates react if they haven't heard back
after an interview?
Answer:Candidates shouldn't assume rejection immediately.
Delays can occur for many reasons, and it's advisable to
follow up politely with the recruiter if no feedback is
received within a few days.

9.Question
What is the significance of demonstrating analytical and
coding skills during an interview?

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Answer:Demonstrating these skills shows your ability to
solve problems effectively and translate those solutions into
clean, efficient code, which is crucial for technical roles.

10.Question
How does the interviewer's mindset influence the
interview process?
Answer:Understanding the interviewer's perspective helps
candidates appreciate the rationale behind the interview
questions being asked, which can improve their approach and
performance.
Chapter 2 | 2. Behind the Scenes| Q&A
1.Question
What is the significance of screening interviews in the
hiring process?
Answer:Screening interviews serve as the
preliminary step in the hiring process, often
conducted over the phone. They are crucial because
they assess a candidate's potential through coding
and algorithms questions, maintaining a high bar

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similar to in-person interviews. They help recruiters
identify suitable candidates before inviting them for
in-depth on-site interviews.

2.Question
How important is the lunch interview compared to other
technical interviews?
Answer:The lunch interview is often seen as less formal and
typically does not involve technical questioning. However, it
is still an essential part of the process as it provides an
opportunity to discuss company culture, personal interests,
and demonstrate interpersonal skills, which can influence the
hiring decision.

3.Question
What characteristics do companies like Microsoft,
Amazon, and Google look for in candidates?
Answer:These tech giants look for candidates displaying
strong problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and a
passion for technology. They often seek prospective
employees who can write extensive code, think critically

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during algorithm challenges, and fit well within the
company's culture.

4.Question
What does it mean if you reach the hiring manager in the
interview process at Microsoft?
Answer:Reaching the hiring manager indicates a strong
positive performance in your interviews with the technical
team, meaning you have likely impressed them enough to
progress to the final decision-making stage.

5.Question
Why is feedback from interviewers crucial in companies
like Amazon and Google?
Answer:Feedback is essential as it provides a comprehensive
view of the candidate's performance across interviews. Each
interviewer submits separate evaluations, which are compiled
for a consensus decision, ensuring a holistic assessment
without bias from previous interviews.

6.Question
What should candidates prepare for when interviewing at
Facebook?

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Answer:Candidates should focus on demonstrating their
entrepreneurial spirit and passion for building efficient,
scalable solutions. They are encouraged to showcase their
ability to quickly develop functional code, which can align
with Facebook's fast-paced engineering environment.

7.Question
How does Palantir's interview process differ from other
tech companies?
Answer:Palantir focuses on highly technical interviews, often
involving algorithm-heavy questions perceived as more
challenging than those at other top companies. Their process
typically includes a significant coding challenge where
efficiency is key, requiring in-depth preparation on data
structures and algorithms.

8.Question
What role does the 'bar raiser' play in Amazon's hiring
process?
Answer:The 'bar raiser' is a specially trained interviewer
responsible for maintaining a high standard in hiring. They

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assess candidates from a broader perspective, ensure quality
across teams and possess veto power in hiring decisions,
further guaranteeing that only top talent is hired.

9.Question
How should candidates approach the question 'Why do
you want to work for [Company]?' in interviews?
Answer:Candidates should express genuine passion for the
company by referring to specific products or innovations
they admire and explaining how their experiences align. A
thoughtful response clearly demonstrating enthusiasm can
significantly impact the interviewer's perception.

10.Question
What is one key takeaway about follow-up after the
interview process?
Answer:It’s crucial to follow up respectfully with recruiters
after a week without communication. This displays continued
interest and helps clarify any uncertainties, reinforcing the
candidate's eagerness and initiative in the hiring process.
Chapter 3 | 3. Special Situations| Q&A

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1.Question
How should experienced candidates prepare for coding
interviews?
Answer:Experienced candidates should not
underestimate the importance of algorithm-style
questions even if they have been out of practice.
They should refresh their knowledge of algorithms
and data structures, as companies often hold
experienced interviewees to high standards due to
their extensive experience.

2.Question
What additional preparation is suggested for Software
Design Engineers in Test (SDETs)?
Answer:SDETs should prepare core testing problems,
practice coding questions, and also think about how to test
the solutions they write. It's essential for them to demonstrate
strong coding skills since that's a common reason for
rejection.

3.Question
What skills do interviewers typically look for in Product

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and Program Management candidates?
Answer:Interviewers look for handling ambiguity, customer
focus (both attitude and technical skills), multi-level
communication abilities, passion for technology, and
teamwork/leadership skills.

4.Question
What is the challenge faced by candidates applying for
SDET roles as a means to enter a company?
Answer:Candidates may find it challenging to transition from
an SDET position to a development role. It's crucial for them
to keep their coding skills sharp and aim to switch roles
within one to two years.

5.Question
What is important for startup candidates during the
interview process?
Answer:Startups generally seek individuals who can
demonstrate initiative and fit within an entrepreneurial
culture. Candidates should showcase their ability to adapt
and hit the ground running.

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6.Question
How can candidates prepare for interviews during an
acquisition?
Answer:Preparing for acquisition interviews is similar to
regular interviews, but candidates may benefit from doing
concentrated study as a team to increase their collective
performance.

7.Question
How should interviewers approach candidate evaluation
and questions?
Answer:Interviewers should ask challenging, thoughtful
questions that assess problem-solving skills rather than
memorization. They should avoid intimidating questions and
offer positive reinforcement during the interview.

8.Question
What common pitfalls do companies face in their hiring
processes?
Answer:Companies often mix up specialist and basic
knowledge questions, misassess candidates' specialist skills,
or impose inappropriate standards based on the nature of the

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role.

9.Question
What is the significance of behavioral questions in
interviews?
Answer:Behavioral questions are crucial for assessing how
candidates have dealt with prior situations, showcasing their
teamwork, leadership, problem-solving abilities, and cultural
fit within the company.

10.Question
How can candidates display their technical passion in
interviews?
Answer:Candidates can show passion by discussing their
previous experiences with enthusiasm and expressing
genuine interest in the company's products and challenges.

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Chapter 4 | 4. Before the Interview| Q&A
1.Question
What is the first step in landing an interview according to
the author?
Answer:Getting great experience is the first step in
landing an interview. Without relevant experience,
there's no impressive resume, and hence, no
interview.

2.Question
How can students gain relevant experience before
graduating?
Answer:Students can seek classes with big coding projects,
secure internships early in school, and take the initiative to
build projects on their own, participate in hackathons, or
contribute to open-source projects.

3.Question
What should professionals aiming to switch companies
focus on regarding their current responsibilities?
Answer:Professionals should try to shift their work
responsibilities more towards coding, taking on bigger

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coding challenges without explicit intent to leave their
current job.

4.Question
What common resume advice does the author provide?
Answer:The author emphasizes the importance of
highlighting accomplishments and keeping the resume
concise—ideally one page for less than ten years of
experience.

5.Question
What is the significance of project work in a resume?
Answer:Projects can showcase initiative and experience,
making candidates appear more competent, especially for
students or recent graduates. It's advisable to list only
significant projects.

6.Question
What approach should you take when listing
programming languages on your resume?
Answer:Be selective and conservative in listing
programming languages. Highlight only those you're
comfortable with and clarify your experience level for each.

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7.Question
What key takeaway is emphasized regarding interview
preparation?
Answer:It's crucial to build projects outside of school/work,
diversify programming languages, and practice coding
regularly, not just focusing on interview questions.

8.Question
What should you remember to do after an interview?
Answer:It's important to write a thank you note to the
recruiter, and if no offer is received, ask when it’s
appropriate to reapply.

9.Question
What mindset should candidates maintain throughout the
interview process?
Answer:Candidates should remain hopeful, understanding
that stumbling during preparation is normal, and they should
celebrate their hard work and progress.
Chapter 5 | 5. Behavioral Questions| Q&A
1.Question
What are behavioral questions, and why are they

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important in interviews?
Answer:Behavioral questions are designed to get to
know your personality and gain deeper insights into
your resume and past experiences. They are
significant because they can reveal how you handle
challenges, learn from mistakes, and fit within a
team.

2.Question
How should you prepare for behavioral questions?
Answer:You can prepare by creating an Interview Preparation
Grid, listing your projects and relevant experiences along
with potential behavioral questions. This structured approach
helps you recall specific anecdotes and communicate your
experiences clearly during the interview.

3.Question
What is a good way to respond to the question about your
weaknesses?
Answer:When discussing weaknesses, provide a genuine
weakness but emphasize how you are actively working to

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improve it. For example, you might say that you sometimes
struggle with attention to detail but compensate by having
someone double-check your work.

4.Question
What kind of questions should you ask the interviewer?
Answer:You should ask a mix of genuine, insightful, and
passion-driven questions. Genuine questions could be about
team dynamics or project planning; insightful ones might
delve into technology choices; passion-driven questions can
show your enthusiasm for learning and contributing to the
company.

5.Question
How can you effectively describe your technical projects
in an interview?
Answer:Select two or three projects to discuss in detail,
focusing on challenges faced, mistakes made, decisions
taken, and technology choices, including trade-offs. Be
prepared to talk about your specific role and the impact of
your contributions.

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6.Question
What are the key points to remember when responding to
behavioral questions?
Answer:Be specific without being arrogant, focus on your
individual contributions rather than group efforts, and
structure your answers to highlight the Situation, Action, and
Result (S.A.R.) of your experiences.

7.Question
What is the 'Nugget First' technique in answering
questions?
Answer:The 'Nugget First' technique involves starting your
response with a concise summary or key point that outlines
what your answer will be about, capturing the interviewer’s
attention right away.

8.Question
Why is it important to limit details in your answers to
interview questions?
Answer:Limiting details keeps your response focused and
accessible, ensuring that the interviewer can easily follow
your narrative without getting lost in technical jargon or

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unnecessary complexity.

9.Question
What personality attributes should be reflected in your
responses?
Answer:Your responses should demonstrate attributes such as
initiative, empathy, compassion, humility, and teamwork.
The actions you describe should clearly signal these qualities
to the interviewer.

10.Question
How should you structure your personal pitch during an
interview?
Answer:A good structure is essentially chronological: Start
with your current role, touch on your educational
background, discuss your post-college experiences, detail
your current responsibilities, and conclude with any unique
hobbies or interests that demonstrate your qualities.

11.Question
What is considered a red flag when discussing your
weaknesses in an interview?
Answer:Responding with clichés like 'I work too hard' is a

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red flag, signaling arrogance or an unwillingness to
acknowledge genuine areas for improvement.

12.Question
Why is the 'S.A.R.' approach beneficial for structuring
responses?
Answer:The 'S.A.R.' approach helps clarify your thought
process and makes it easier for the interviewer to understand
the impact of your actions by laying out the context
(Situation), what you did (Action), and the outcome (Result).

13.Question
What is the difference between genuine, insightful, and
passion-driven questions?
Answer:Genuine questions reflect your curiosity about the
company; insightful questions demonstrate your
understanding of the field and technology; passion-driven
questions show your enthusiasm for the role and learning
opportunities.

14.Question
How can you convey successes or personality attributes in
your pitch?

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Answer:Integrate highlights of your career, such as
promotions, recruitment by former managers, and specific
achievements, to substantiate your skills and values, making
them clear without explicitly stating them.
Chapter 6 | 6. Big O| Q&A
1.Question
What is the runtime of the first example code, and why is
it O(N)?
Answer:The runtime is O(N) because the code
iterates through the array twice, but in big O
notation, we focus on the highest growth term.
Therefore, both iterations contribute linearly,
resulting in a linear time complexity.

2.Question
Why does the second example code have a runtime of
O(N^2), and can you explain this further?
Answer:The second example has a nested loop where for
each element of the array (outer loop O(N)), it prints pairs
with every other element (inner loop O(N)). Thus, the overall

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complexity is O(N * N) = O(N^2), indicating that as the size
of the array increases, the time taken grows quadratically.

3.Question
In the third example, how does starting the inner loop at
'i + 1' affect the runtime, and what is the final conclusion
on its complexity?
Answer:Starting the inner loop at 'i + 1' ensures that each pair
is unique without repetition. The total pairs created from the
nested loops still lead to O(N^2) due to the triangular number
formula for pairs, reinforcing the understanding of time
complexity.

4.Question
What should you focus on to recognize the time
complexity in an algorithm rather than just memorizing
common runtimes?
Answer:You should focus on deeply understanding iteration
patterns and their cumulative effect, as well as how the size
of input affects runtime. Recognizing the structure of loops
and calls, analyzing their interactions, will provide clarity on
how complexity develops.

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5.Question
Could you summarize how the summation of a sequence
helps in finding the time complexity for the example
involving unordered pairs?
Answer:The example involves summing the iterations of
both loops, recognizing it builds to a triangular number. The
cumulative iteration count reduces to a summation formula,
leading to O(N^2) as each element pairs with each
subsequent element.

6.Question
In the case of the code that reverses an array, despite
iterating through half the array, why is its runtime still
O(N)?
Answer:The overall operation only cares about how the
algorithm scales with input size. Each element is still touched
once in this swap operation, marking its complexity as linear
O(N). It doesn't matter that it stops at half; the degree of
movement across the array is still N.

7.Question
In terms of prime number checking logic, what is the key

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takeaway regarding time complexity when checking
divisibility?
Answer:The time complexity involves knowing how many
checks need to be performed, which only goes up to the
square root of n, bringing the complexity down to O("n).
Acknowledging that this halving of potential checks
culminates in more efficiency, particularly for large numbers.

8.Question
What distinguishes O(N) from O(N^2) in terms of
algorithm performance?
Answer:O(N) indicates a linear growth with respect to input
size, which is more performant for larger datasets compared
to O(N^2). O(N^2) grows quadratically, causing more
significant slowdowns as input size increases, leading to
quicker maximum limits in feasibility for large inputs.

9.Question
Why is memoization important in recursive algorithms,
and how does it affect run-time complexity?
Answer:Memoization allows recursive algorithms to store

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previously computed results to avoid redundant calculations.
This optimizes exponential complexity algorithms down to
linear (O(n)) by caching results, significantly improving
performance.

10.Question
What common mistake should be avoided when using
variables to measure algorithmic complexity?
Answer:Be cautious with variable naming to prevent
ambiguity; avoid reusing the same variable length N for
different purposes in algorithm analysis because it can lead to
misleading conclusions regarding time complexity.

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Chapter 7 | 7. Technical Questions| Q&A
1.Question
How should candidates prepare for technical interview
questions?
Answer:Candidates should engage in active
problem-solving rather than passively reading
solutions. Here are some steps to prepare: 1. Solve
problems independently, using hints only as
necessary. 2. Practice coding by hand on paper to
simulate interview conditions. 3. Test your code
thoroughly after writing it, including various test
cases.0Continued on next question about what to
know0

2.Question
What fundamental concepts should candidates master for
technical interviews?
Answer:A candidate should be familiar with core data
structures and algorithms, such as: Linked Lists, Stacks,
Queues, Hash Tables, Trees, Graphs, Sorting Algorithms

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(Merge Sort, Quick Sort), Recursion, Dynamic
Programming, and understanding Big O time and space
complexity. Mastery in these areas is crucial as interviews
typically test knowledge of them.

3.Question
What is the importance of using examples when solving
problems in interviews?
Answer:Creating examples helps candidates visualize the
problem and understand it better. An example should be
specific, sufficiently large, and not a special case to ensure
the solution caters to all cases correctly. By manually
working through an example, candidates can derive insights
that lead to a more informed and efficient algorithm.

4.Question
How can a candidate turn a brute-force solution into an
optimized one?
Answer:Start with a brute-force solution to establish a
baseline, then refine it by looking for bottlenecks,
eliminating unnecessary or duplicated work, and leveraging

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any specifics known about the input (like sorted arrays).
Consider using hash tables or data structure optimizations to
reduce the time complexity.

5.Question
What is the significance of testing code during an
interview?
Answer:Testing code is critical as it ensures correctness.
Candidates should start with conceptual tests, check for
unusual code segments, verify hot spots, and employ small
and edge test cases to quickly identify bugs. This debugging
process mirrors real-world development practices.

6.Question
What traits define 'beautiful code' in interviews?
Answer:'Beautiful code' is defined by its correctness,
efficiency, simplicity, readability, and maintainability. It not
only should function correctly but also be easy to understand
and adapt for future changes, showing that the developer has
good coding practices.

7.Question
What approach should a candidate take if they don't

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know the answer to a question?
Answer:If stuck, it's essential to remain calm and articulate.
Candidates should express their thought process aloud, ask
clarifying questions, and work through related concepts or
simpler versions of the problem to gradually arrive at a
solution. Showing a willingness to tackle challenging
problems is often valued by interviewers.
Chapter 8 | 8. The Offer and Beyond| Q&A
1.Question
What should you evaluate when you receive a job offer?
Answer:When evaluating a job offer, consider the
entire financial package, including salary, signing
bonuses, stock options, and cost of living differences.
Look at your career development opportunities, the
company's stability, the happiness factor related to
the team and culture, and long-term prospects
concerning promotions and skills you’ll gain.

2.Question
How should you respond to a job offer if you're unsure?

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Answer:If you're waiting for responses from other
companies, it's perfectly acceptable to ask for an extension
on the offer deadline. Most companies are willing to
accommodate this request.

3.Question
What is an important consideration when declining a job
offer?
Answer:When declining a job offer, it's important to do so
graciously and maintain a bridge for future opportunities.
Provide a non-offensive reason for your decision that cannot
be disputed, like opting for a startup over a larger company.

4.Question
How can you handle rejection after an interview?
Answer:If you get rejected, thank the recruiter for their time,
express your disappointment, and inquire about when you
can reapply in the future. Additionally, ask for feedback if it's
available, as this can help you in subsequent interviews.

5.Question
What strategies should you use to negotiate your job
offer?

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Answer:When negotiating, remember to have specific asks
(e.g., 'I would like an increase of $7000') instead of just
asking for more. Be prepared with a backup plan, and think
beyond salary to include equity or benefits.

6.Question
Why is it important to build strong relationships at work?
Answer:Building strong relationships with colleagues and
managers is crucial for networking and support within your
career. Strong ties foster connections that can help you when
seeking new opportunities in the future.

7.Question
What steps should you take to ensure your career
progresses?
Answer:Outline your career path and set timelines for your
goals. Regularly check in on your progress to avoid
complacency. Keep your interview skills sharp by
interviewing at least once a year, even if you’re not actively
looking for a new job.

8.Question
How can company culture affect job satisfaction?

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Answer:Company culture affects job satisfaction
significantly. It encompasses decision-making processes,
social atmosphere, and work organization, all of which
contribute to how you feel about your workplace and can
impact your performance and mental well-being.
Chapter 9 | 9. Interview Questions| Q&A
1.Question
What is the purpose of the 'isPermutationOfPalindrome'
function?
Answer:The 'isPermutationOfPalindrome' function
checks if a given string can be arranged into a
palindrome by using the counts of each character in
the string. The function essentially determines if
there can be at most one character with an odd
count, which is the only character that can exist at
the center of a palindrome.

2.Question
Why is it better to implement
'isPermutationOfPalindrome' with a hash table
approach?

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Answer:Using a hash table allows for linear time complexity
(O(N)) in checking character frequencies. It provides a
straightforward way to count occurrences of characters and
quickly check for the condition of at most one odd-count
character.

3.Question
What are the performance differences between the
solutions given for 'isPermutationOfPalindrome'?
Answer:The first solution uses sorting which has a time
complexity of O(N log N), while the second uses a hash table
with O(N) complexity. A more space-efficient bit vector
approach checks bits for character counts, also in O(N) time
but with reduced space usage.

4.Question
In the 'deleteNode' problem, why can't the last node be
deleted with only access to the middle node?
Answer:The 'deleteNode' function requires access to the
previous node in the linked list to successfully remove a
node. The last node doesn’t have a subsequent node to copy

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from, making it impossible to delete it while only having
access to its reference.

5.Question
Describe how the partitioning of a linked list around a
value works.
Answer:To partition a linked list, you create two separate
linked lists: one for nodes less than the chosen partition value
and another for nodes greater than or equal to that value.
After iterating through the original list and filling the two
new lists, you merge the two lists together.

6.Question
What does the 'findIntersection' algorithm do and how
does it work?
Answer:The 'findIntersection' algorithm checks if two linked
lists intersect by comparing their tail nodes. If the tails are
different, they do not intersect. If they are the same, the
function advances pointers to traverse the lists and finds the
exact intersection point using their lengths.

7.Question
What is the main idea behind detecting a loop in a linked

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list using the fast and slow pointer method?
Answer:The fast and slow pointer method involves using two
pointers that move at different speeds (one moving twice as
fast as the other). If a loop exists, the faster pointer will
eventually meet the slower pointer, suggesting a cycle.

8.Question
Explain why synchronized methods are necessary when
working with threads.
Answer:Synchronized methods prevent multiple threads from
executing critical sections of code that access shared
resources simultaneously, which can lead to inconsistent
results or corrupt data. They ensure that only one thread at a
time can access the method.

9.Question
How do locks differ from synchronized methods in Java?
Answer:Locks provide more flexible and finer-grained
control over synchronization compared to synchronized
methods. With locks, threads can hold a lock and execute a
block of code, avoiding blocking other threads unnecessarily.

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Locks also allow features like tryLock, which helps manage
resource access more effectively.

10.Question
What are the potential downsides of deadlocks in a
multi-threaded environment?
Answer:Deadlocks can severely affect the performance of an
application by causing threads to wait indefinitely for
resources held by each other. They lead to situations where
progress is halted, potentially requiring manual intervention
to resolve, which can disrupt system functioning.

11.Question
What technique can be used for detecting deadlocks?
Answer:Deadlocks can be detected through various
algorithms, including resource allocation graphs or wait-for
graphs, which help identify cycles in resource allocation,
indicating that threads are deadlocked.

12.Question
What is the impact of the 'main' thread during Java
execution?
Answer:The 'main' thread is the primary thread that executes

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the 'main' method in a standalone application. All other
threads spawned from the main thread are considered user
threads, and any operations or behavior in the application
typically begin with the 'main' thread.

13.Question
Why should we avoid blocking the main thread for long
operations in a user interface application?
Answer:Blocking the main thread can lead to a
non-responsive user interface, negatively impacting user
experience. It is essential to run long-running or blocking
operations in separate threads to keep the UI responsive.

14.Question
Describe the importance of memory management in
terms of stack and heap structures in Java.
Answer:In Java, the stack stores method calls and local
variables, with a Last In First Out (LIFO) structure. The heap
is used for objects instantiated by the program. Managing
memory effectively between these two structures prevents
memory leaks and optimizes resource usage.

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Chapter 10 | 10 Solutions| Q&A
1.Question
What is the key to developing algorithms in coding
interviews?
Answer:The key to developing algorithms in coding
interviews is a clear understanding of the problem
requirements, maintaining a methodical approach to
problem-solving, and being able to effectively
communicate your thought process and solutions to
the interviewer.

2.Question
How can you deal with the assumption of only two
character sets (ASCII and Unicode) when determining if
a string has all unique characters?
Answer:You should first clarify the assumptions with your
interviewer about the character set being used (ASCII or
Unicode). If characterized as ASCII, you can use a boolean
array to track the occurrence of characters. If Unicode is
assumed, you would need a data structure capable of
providing larger storage capacity, potentially using custom

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solutions like hash maps.

3.Question
When is it beneficial to sort strings to determine if one is
a permutation of another?
Answer:Sorting strings is beneficial because if two strings
are permutations of each other, then after sorting they will
match character-for-character in their arranged order,
allowing for a simple equality check.

4.Question
Describe an efficient way to replace spaces in a string
with '%20'.
Answer:An efficient way to replace spaces involves scanning
the string and counting the spaces to determine the new
length required. Then, starting from the end of the string,
copy the original characters to the new positions in reverse,
replacing spaces with '%20' as needed.

5.Question
What conditions must a string meet to be a permutation
of a palindrome?
Answer:For a string to be a permutation of a palindrome, it

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can have at most one character with an odd count. This
allows for even distributions on both halves of the
palindrome with at most one central character.

6.Question
Why do we check both conditions for operations
regarding odd versus even length strings when checking
for palindromic permutations?
Answer:We check conditions for odd and even length strings
because they define how characters should be distributed: an
even length requires all characters to have even counts, while
an odd length allows for one character to have an odd count.

7.Question
How can you determine if one string is a rotation of
another?
Answer:To determine if one string is a rotation of another,
you can concatenate the first string with itself, and check if
the second string occurs within this concatenated version.

8.Question
What is the significance of the order in which you handle
stacks for the stack of plates problem?

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Answer:The order prevents any overflow. As you push plates
onto stacks, if the top stack reaches capacity, a new stack is
created, balancing the overflow without letting any overflow
errors occur.

9.Question
How would you model a call center system?
Answer:You can model a call center system using a class
hierarchy with an Employee superclass and subclasses for
Respondent, Manager, and Director. Each employee has a
state and methods for receiving, escalating, and completing
calls, while the call center manages queues and the
dispatching of calls.

10.Question
In terms of performance and flexibility, how would you
approach designing a stack-based problem?
Answer:In designing stack-based problems, consider
maintaining optimal performance through efficient
operations while also ensuring flexibility for future stack
operations, like resizing or expanding stacks dynamically to

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handle unique constraints.

11.Question
How can you ensure your answer will meet the
expectations of your interviewer during a technical
problem-solving session?
Answer:Clearly communicate your thought process, verify
assumptions, ask clarifying questions about the problem if
needed, evaluate trade-offs of different solutions, and iterate
on your proposed solution based on feedback.

12.Question
What are the common pitfalls in algorithm design during
coding interviews?
Answer:Common pitfalls include overlooking edge cases, not
clarifying problem constraints, making assumptions about
input, and failing to articulate the thought process which
could lead to miscommunication with the interviewer.

13.Question
Explain an algorithm to count the number of paths that
sum to a given value in a binary tree.
Answer:You can utilize a hash map to count running sums as

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you traverse the tree. For each node, check how many times
the difference between the current running sum and the target
sum has occurred, updating counts as you go.

14.Question
How can you recognize when you need to optimize a brute
force solution?
Answer:By identifying the performance bottlenecks and
recognizing repetitive work or excessive resource
consumption that exceeds constraints, you will be led to
investigate the possibility of an optimized or dynamic
approach.

15.Question
Why is understanding bitwise operations crucial in
high-level coding interviews?
Answer:Understanding bitwise operations is crucial because
they can lead to highly efficient algorithms that perform tasks
significantly faster than traditional methods, especially when
handling binary data, memory manipulation, utilizing masks,
or performing low-level system operations.

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16.Question
What is the mathematical significance in most coding
interview problems?
Answer:Many coding interview problems can be reduced to
mathematical expressions or logical operations that highlight
properties of the data, enabling efficient solutions that reveal
deeper insights into the structure or behavior of the
underlying systems.

17.Question
What is one key takeaway from working through tree
problems in interviews?
Answer:A key takeaway is to visualize the structure of the
tree and iteratively apply algorithms or recursive methods
that take advantage of properties unique to trees in order to
simplify the logic and make the implementation cleaner and
more maintainable.
Chapter 11 | 11. Advanced Topics| Q&A
1.Question
What should you focus on when preparing for technical
interviews?

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Answer:Prioritize learning core data structures and
algorithms that are commonly asked in interviews.
While it's valuable to know advanced topics, it's
crucial to center your preparation on what is most
likely to be relevant.

2.Question
How often are advanced topics like red-black trees or
Dijkstra's algorithm asked in interviews?
Answer:These topics are rarely asked in interviews. While
they may come up occasionally, the focus should be on your
ability to solve problems rather than the specifics of these
advanced algorithms.

3.Question
What is the importance of understanding logarithms in
algorithm analysis?
Answer:Understanding logarithms is crucial because they
frequently appear in the analysis of algorithms. The base of
the logarithm often doesn't matter because, in big-O notation,
constants are dropped.

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4.Question
How do you calculate the sum of integers from 1 to n?
Answer:You can pair the first and last integers, the second
and second last, and so forth, which simplifies to n(n+1)/2.
This understanding can help in nested loops or optimization
problems.

5.Question
What is induction and how is it used in proofs?
Answer:Induction is a technique used to prove mathematical
statements by proving a base case and then showing that if
the statement holds for one case, it holds for the next one as
well.

6.Question
What is a topological sort and in which scenarios is it
useful?
Answer:A topological sort of a directed graph organizes its
nodes such that if there is an edge from node A to node B, A
comes before B. It's useful in scheduling tasks with
dependencies.

7.Question

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Can you explain Dijkstra's algorithm in simple terms?
Answer:Dijkstra's algorithm finds the shortest path from a
starting node to all other nodes in a weighted graph. It works
by exploring all possible paths and choosing the shortest at
each step.

8.Question
What does it mean to handle collisions in hash tables, and
what are some methods?
Answer:Handling collisions is essential to ensure the
efficiency of hash tables. Common methods include chaining
(using linked lists) or open addressing (probing for next free
slots).

9.Question
Why is it beneficial to know about MapReduce?
Answer:MapReduce allows processing large datasets in
parallel, which enhances performance and efficiency. It's
particularly useful for big data applications.

10.Question
What are AVL trees and what advantages do they offer?

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Answer:AVL trees are balanced binary search trees that
maintain a balance after insertions and deletions, ensuring
O(log N) time complexity for operations, which is efficient
for search operations.

11.Question
What additional topics should you consider studying to
advance your knowledge in algorithms?
Answer:Consider studying topics like the Bellman-Ford
Algorithm, Minimum Spanning Trees, and various advanced
data structures like B-Trees and Interval Trees for a
comprehensive understanding.
Chapter 12 | 12. Code Library| Q&A
1.Question
What is the importance of simplifying code in
programming interviews?
Answer:Simplifying code not only makes it easier to
read and understand, but it also reduces the
likelihood of bugs and errors. It shows a clear train
of thought and understanding of the problem, which

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can impress interviewers. For example, instead of
using nested structures and complex logic,
employing a straightforward data structure like
HashMapList can streamline the solution.

2.Question
How can creating a custom data structure, like Trie or
HashMapList, improve efficiency in interview problems?
Answer:Using custom data structures can significantly
enhance the efficiency of algorithms by providing optimized
access time for operations such as search, insert, and delete.
For instance, a Trie efficiently manages a dictionary of
prefixes, allowing fast checks for word existence, greatly
speeding up solutions to problems involving word searches.

3.Question
Why is it essential to understand the internal workings of
data structures instead of relying solely on built-in
options?
Answer:Understanding the internals of data structures allows
a developer to tweak them according to a specific problem's
requirements. For instance, while built-in binary tree classes

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might suffice, creating a custom TreeNode class allows you
to tailor the structure to your precise needs, such as adding
parent tracking, which can be critical for certain algorithms.

4.Question
What mindset should candidates adopt when faced with
complex coding challenges in interviews?
Answer:Candidates should view struggles as a natural part of
the problem-solving process and remain persistent. They
should employ strategies like breaking the problem into
smaller parts, asking clarifying questions, and seeking hints
when needed, to facilitate their thought processes.

5.Question
What does the phrase 'struggling is a normal part of the
process' imply for candidates?
Answer:This phrase encourages candidates to embrace
difficulties when solving problems, as challenges are
inherent to programming. It signals that persistence and a
positive attitude are crucial, rather than aiming to have an
immediate perfect solution.

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6.Question
How can practicing with common data structures prepare
candidates for technical interviews?
Answer:Practicing with common data structures like linked
lists, trees, and hash tables equips candidates with the
necessary skills to tackle diverse problems. Familiarity with
their operations and performance can lead to quicker, more
efficient solutions during the interview.

7.Question
What role does problem decomposition play in solving
coding interview questions?
Answer:Decomposing a problem enables candidates to
simplify complex scenarios into manageable components,
making it easier to formulate solutions step by step. This
approach can lead to more organized and logical coding,
facilitating easier debugging and improvement.

8.Question
In what ways can candidates demonstrate their
understanding of trade-offs in data structure choices
during interviews?

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Answer:Candidates can showcase their knowledge by
discussing the time and space complexities of different data
structures, their application scenarios, and trade-offs
involved in choosing one over another. For instance,
explaining when to use a linked list versus an array based on
insert/delete operation needs shows deep understanding.

9.Question
How does one effectively balance between code
correctness and optimization in an interview setting?
Answer:Candidates should prioritize achieving a correct and
functional solution first before refining for optimization.
Once the base case is correctly implemented, they can then
analyze their code for performance improvements,
demonstrating a balance between essential functionality and
efficiency.

10.Question
What insights can be gained from utilizing hints during
coding exercises?
Answer:Hints can guide candidates when they feel stuck,

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offering valuable insights that can lead to 'aha' moments.
They encourage candidates to think differently about
problems, explore new methods, or identify overlooked
considerations, ultimately helping improve problem-solving
resilience.

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Cracking the Coding Interview Quiz and
Test
Check the Correct Answer on Bookey Website

Chapter 1 | 1. The Interview Process| Quiz and Test

1.The interview process at tech companies focuses
mainly on algorithm and coding problems to
assess problem-solving abilities.
2.Interviewers primarily evaluate candidates based solely on
their past experience and technical knowledge, ignoring
communication skills.
3.Whiteboard coding is designed to examine candidates'
problem-solving capabilities rather than their ability to
write perfect syntax.
Chapter 2 | 2. Behind the Scenes| Quiz and Test
1.Most companies start the interview process with a
technical coding interview conducted over the
phone.
2.On-site interviews typically involve just a single interview
with no emphasis on company culture.

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3.Candidates should express interest in the company and
demonstrate a passion for relevant technology during
interviews.
Chapter 3 | 3. Special Situations| Quiz and Test
1.Algorithm-style questions are only applicable to
recent graduates and not to experienced
candidates.
2.Personal referrals are often less important than job listings
in the startup application process.
3.Effective interviewing techniques for interviewers include
using exact questions from this book to prevent rote
memorization.

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Chapter 4 | 4. Before the Interview| Quiz and Test
1.Engaging in classes focused on significant coding
projects is important for gaining practical
experience before an interview.
2.It is advisable to write a multi-page resume regardless of
your experience level to showcase your comprehensive job
history.
3.Independent projects are less preferred on a resume
compared to grouped projects that showcase teamwork.
Chapter 5 | 5. Behavioral Questions| Quiz and Test
1.Behavioral questions are unnecessary in interviews
and do not help employers understand your
personality.
2.When discussing weaknesses in an interview, it is
advisable to present a strength instead of a genuine
weakness.
3.Big O notation is unimportant for understanding the
efficiency of algorithms and is not necessary for technical
assessments.

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Chapter 6 | 6. Big O| Quiz and Test
1.The time complexity for printing all pairs of
elements in the same array is O(N^2).
2.The time complexity for summing the nodes of a binary
tree is O(log N).
3.Caching Fibonacci values reduces the time complexity to
O(2^N).

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Chapter 7 | 7. Technical Questions| Quiz and Test
1.Technical questions are not important in
interviews at leading tech companies.
2.Mock interviews can help simulate the real interview
environment.
3.It is not necessary for candidates to understand time and
space complexities in algorithms.
Chapter 8 | 8. The Offer and Beyond| Quiz and Test
1.It's common for companies to extend a job offer
with a deadline between one to four weeks.
2.Once you accept a job offer, you should stop interviewing
and evaluating other opportunities.
3.Negotiating your job offer is discouraged and can affect
your chances of receiving an offer.
Chapter 9 | 9. Interview Questions| Quiz and Test
1.Array and string questions are typically
interchangeable.
2.The worst-case complexity of a hash table is O(1) with
high collisions.

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3.Using StringBuilder for string concatenation can lead to
O(n^2) time complexity.

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Chapter 10 | 10 Solutions| Quiz and Test
1.The 'Is Unique' algorithm checks if a string has
duplicate characters using only brute-force
techniques.
2.The 'Palindrome Permutation' problem allows for at most
one character with an odd frequency count.
3.In the 'Remove Dups' method, a Binary Search Tree is
recommended for time efficiency.
Chapter 11 | 11. Advanced Topics| Quiz and Test
1.The chapter explains that logarithmic conversions
between different bases have no effect on the Big O
notation.
2.Dijkstra's algorithm is used for finding the longest paths in
weighted graphs.
3.AVL trees are a type of self-balancing binary search tree
that only uses rotations during insertion.
Chapter 12 | 12. Code Library| Quiz and Test
1.The Chapter 12 of 'Cracking the Coding
Interview' includes a section focused on the

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 implementation of a Trie data structure.
2.The HashMapList class maps items of type E to a list of
type T instead of the other way around.
3.The chapter provides hints to assist with solving interview
problems by focusing on algorithm optimization and data
structure choice.

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