Google

ApproachSliding window with a set/last-seen map; advance the right edge, shrink the left on a repeat.

EvaluatesTwo-pointer/sliding-window fluency and off-by-one care.

ApproachBuild a directed graph and run topological sort (Kahn/BFS or DFS cycle detection).

EvaluatesRecognizing a cycle-detection problem behind a word problem.

ApproachA size-k min-heap, or quickselect for average O(n); discuss the trade-offs.

EvaluatesHeap vs. selection trade-offs and awareness of average vs. worst case.

ApproachIterate with three pointers (prev, curr, next), rewiring links; discuss the recursive variant and its stack cost.

EvaluatesPointer manipulation, in-place mutation, and clarity under a deceptively simple task.

ApproachTrie or prefix index, top-k ranking, caching, and updating suggestions from live traffic.

EvaluatesLatency budget, data-structure choice, and freshness vs. cost.

ApproachDiscuss fan-out on write vs. read, ranking, pagination, and the celebrity/hot-key problem.

EvaluatesHandling scale skew and picking the right fan-out strategy.

ApproachAnchor to measurable impact; be crisp about what YOU did vs. the team, and the trade-offs you made.

EvaluatesOwnership, impact, and honest self-attribution.

ApproachUse STAR: the situation, your reasoning, how you disagreed respectfully and reached a decision, and the result.

EvaluatesCommunication, judgment, and whether you can disagree-and-commit without drama.