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SDE - 1

Google inc
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3 rounds | 5 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Journey
During my B.Tech journey, I received valuable advice from my seniors regarding the importance of practicing Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) early on. However, I must admit that I initially didn't take their advice seriously. Looking back, I regret not heeding their guidance. It wasn't until my third year that I realized the significance of coding and decided to dedicate more time to it. I had to intensify my practice hours to make up for lost time. By the end of my third year, I had gained confidence in both DSA and software development, but I continued revising the concepts to further solidify my understanding.
Application story
I submitted my application through the LinkedIn. After about a week, I received a call from HR to confirm the details. A week later, the interviews were scheduled on Zoom, primarily focusing on evaluating my proficiency in DSA and system design.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
Overall, the interview process went well. However, in the third round, I was asked a challenging question related to shell scripting, which I struggled to answer correctly due to its complexity. This experience taught me the importance of thoroughly understanding every concept and only including those areas in my resume where I felt confident.
Preparation
Duration: 4 months
Topics: Computer Fundamentals, Data Structures, Algorithms, DBMS, OS
Tip
Tip

Tip 1: Engage in live coding contests on platforms like Codechef, Codeforces, and others as frequently as possible.
Tip 2: Practice previous interview questions from reputable platforms such as LeetCode and GeeksForGeeks.
Tip 3: Thoroughly revise Computer Science subjects like Database Management Systems (DBMS) and Object-Oriented Programming (OOPS).

Application process
Where: Linkedin
Eligibility: No
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Include only those skills and experiences in your resume that you are confident about and continue practicing to enhance your proficiency.

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration60 mins
Interview date13 Jun 2020
Coding problem2

1. Minimum Cost Path

Moderate
25m average time
70% success
0/80
Asked in companies
Goldman SachsOlaSalesforce

You have been given a matrix of ‘N’ rows and ‘M’ columns filled up with integers. Find the minimum sum that can be obtained from a path which from cell (x,y) and ends at the top left corner (1,1).

From any cell in a row, we can move to the right, down or the down right diagonal cell. So from a particular cell (row, col), we can move to the following three cells:

Down: (row+1,col)
Right: (row, col+1)
Down right diagonal: (row+1, col+1)
Problem approach

I had practiced enough of DP questions, so this one looked fairly easy. Since it was a standard DP question, the same approach worked here too.

Try solving now

2. Maximum Subarray Sum

Moderate
25m average time
75% success
0/80
Asked in companies
CultfitPayPalWalmart

Given an array of numbers, find the maximum sum of any contiguous subarray of the array.


For example, given the array [34, -50, 42, 14, -5, 86], the maximum sum would be 137, since we would take elements 42, 14, -5, and 86.


Given the array [-5, -1, -8, -9], the maximum sum would be -1.


Follow up: Do this in O(N) time.

Problem approach

I used Kadane algorithm here to find subarray with maximum sum. It is a standard question for interview.

Try solving now
02
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration60 mins
Interview date17 Jun 2020
Coding problem2

1. Convert Decimal into Irreducible Fraction

Easy
25m average time
75% success
0/40
Asked in companies
OracleHCL TechnologiesMicrosoft

You are given a real number, 'NUM'. You have to represent this number as an irreducible fraction of the form A/B, where 'A' and 'B' are the numerator and denominator respectively.

A fraction is called irreducible when the greatest common divisor (GCD/HCF) of the numerator and denominator is one.

Example :
Given 'NUM' : 1.75
Irreducible fraction  can be represented as 7/4.

Note that 14/8 = 1.75 as well, but 14/8 is not an irreducible fraction.
Note :
In order to preserve precision, the real number will be given to you in the form of two strings : the integer part, and the fractional part. 

The integer part will contain not more than 8 digits, whereas the fractional part will always contain 8 digits.
Problem approach

I was unable to solve all test cases. I thought of using decimal precision and other things but not able to pas cases all test.

Try solving now

2. Connect N Ropes With Minimum Cost

Easy
20m average time
80% success
0/40
Asked in companies
ArcesiumUberOptum

You have been given 'N' ropes of different lengths, we need to connect these ropes into one rope. The cost to connect two ropes is equal to sum of their lengths. We need to connect the ropes with minimum cost.

The test-data is such that the result will fit into a 32-bit integer.

Problem approach

I solved this question using a priority queue(max heap) by inserting all elements in the priority queue and then taking the maximum two out of them and pushing their sum again to the priority queue.

Try solving now
03
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration60 mins
Interview date21 Jun 2020
Coding problem1

1. System Design Question

Design a scalable online food delivery system like Uber Eats.

Problem approach

Step 1: Understand the Requirements and Constraints
Step 2: Identify Components and High-Level Architecture
Step 3: Design Individual Components in Detail
Step 4: Consider Scalability, Performance, and Trade-Offs

Here's your problem of the day

Solving this problem will increase your chance to get selected in this company

Skill covered: Programming

How do you remove whitespace from the start of a string?

Choose another skill to practice
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