30+ Sakthi Motors Interview Questions and Answers

Find first missing positive integer from an array of non-negative integers.

• Create a hash set to store all positive integers in the array

• Loop through the array and add all positive integers to the hash set

• Loop through positive integers starting from 1 and return the first missing integer not in the hash set

Group list of strings into distinct anagrams.

• Create a hash table with sorted string as key and list of anagrams as value.

• Iterate through the list of strings and add each string to its corresponding anagram list in the hash table.

• Return the values of the hash table as a list of lists.

Find the lowest common ancestor of a binary tree.

• Traverse the tree recursively from the root node.

• If the current node is null or matches either of the given nodes, return the current node.

• Recursively search for the nodes in the left and right subtrees.

• If both nodes are found in different subtrees, return the current node.

• If both nodes are found in the same subtree, continue the search in that subtree.

Given 'N' ropes of varying lengths, find the minimum cost to connect all ropes into one single rope.

• Sort the lengths of ropes in ascending order.

• Keep connecting the two shortest ropes at each step.

• Update the total cost by adding the lengths of the connected ropes.

• Repeat until all ropes are connected.

• Return the total cost as the minimum cost to connect all ropes.

Determine if a binary string can be sorted in decreasing order by removing non-adjacent characters.

• Check if the count of '1's in the string is equal to the length of the string, in which case it can be sorted in decreasing order.

• If there are multiple '0's between two '1's, they can be removed to sort the string in decreasing order.

• If there are more '0's than '1's, it is not possible to sort the string in decreasing order.

Given N meetings with start and end times, determine the maximum number of meetings that can be organized in a single room without overlap.

• Sort the meetings based on their end times.

• Iterate through the sorted meetings and select the first meeting that does not overlap with the previous one.

• Repeat the process until all meetings are considered.

• Return the selected meetings in the order they are organized.

Implement a function to find any topological sorting of a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG).

• Use Depth First Search (DFS) to traverse the graph and add vertices to the result in reverse order of finishing times.

• Maintain a visited array to keep track of visited vertices to avoid revisiting them.

• Start DFS from any unvisited vertex and recursively explore its neighbors.

• Once all neighbors are visited, add the current vertex to the result.

• Repeat the process until all vertices are visite...read more

Convert a binary search tree into a Greater Tree by replacing each node's value with the sum of all values greater than or equal to it.

• Traverse the BST in reverse inorder (right, root, left) to visit nodes in descending order.

• Keep track of the running sum of visited nodes and update each node's value with this sum.

• Recursively apply the above steps to all nodes in the BST.

• Example: Input - 4 1 6 0 2 5 7 -1 -1 -1 3 -1 -1 -1 -1, Output - 20 24 21 15 26 16 7 -1 -1 -1 3 -1 -1 -1 -1

Maximize memory usage by pairing downloads and games within memory limit 'K'.

• Sort downloads and games in descending order.

• Iterate through downloads and games to find the pair with maximum memory usage.

• Return the indices of the selected download and game pairs.

Implement a function to output the Spiral Order traversal of a binary tree given in level order.

• Traverse the binary tree in a spiral order, alternating between left to right and right to left at each level.

• Use a queue to keep track of nodes at each level and a stack to reverse the order of nodes at odd levels.

• Handle null nodes appropriately to maintain the spiral order traversal.

• Example: Input: 1 2 3 -1 -1 4 5, Output: 1 3 2 4 5

Find the N-th node from the end of a Singly Linked List containing integers.

• Traverse the list to find the length L of the list.

• Calculate the position of the N-th node from the beginning as L - N + 1.

• Traverse the list again to reach the calculated position and return the node's value.

• Handle edge cases like N being equal to 1 or equal to the length of the list.

Given a binary tree, return the bottom view of the tree when viewed from left to right.

• Traverse the tree level by level and keep track of the horizontal distance of each node from the root.

• For each horizontal distance, store the node with the maximum depth in a map.

• After traversing the entire tree, return the values of the map in sorted order of their horizontal distance.

Implement serialization and deserialization methods for a binary tree of integers.

• Use level order traversal for serialization and deserialization.

• Use -1 to represent null nodes in the binary tree.

• Ensure the serialized string can be correctly decoded back to form the original binary tree.

The task is to determine the number of islands in a grid consisting of 0s and 1s.

• Iterate through the grid and perform depth-first search (DFS) to find connected 1s.

• Mark visited 1s as 0 to avoid counting them again.

• Increment the island count each time a new island is found.

• Consider all 8 adjacent cells (horizontally, vertically, diagonally) while performing DFS.

• Handle edge cases like out of bounds and already visited cells.

The task is to determine the left view of a binary tree, which consists of nodes visible when viewed from the left side.

• Traverse the binary tree in a level order manner and keep track of the leftmost node at each level.

• Use a queue to perform level order traversal of the binary tree.

• Maintain a count of nodes at each level to identify the leftmost node.

• Return the leftmost nodes at each level as the left view of the binary tree.

Design a parking lot

• Consider the size and capacity of the parking lot

• Decide on the layout and organization of parking spaces

• Implement a system to manage parking availability and reservations

• Include features like ticketing, payment, and security

• Consider scalability and future expansion

Minimum weight to reach bottom right corner in matrix starting from top left. You can move only down and right.

• Use dynamic programming to solve the problem efficiently

• Create a 2D array to store the minimum weight to reach each cell

• The minimum weight to reach a cell is the minimum of the weight to reach the cell above and the cell to the left plus the weight of the current cell

• The minimum weight to reach the bottom right corner is the value in the last cell of the 2D array

After a stock split, the value of options will be adjusted based on the new stock price and the split ratio.

• Value of options will be adjusted based on the new stock price and the split ratio

• Number of options will increase proportionally to the split ratio

• Strike price of options will decrease proportionally to the split ratio

Find the nearest index of a character in a string for each index.

• Create an array of strings to store the results.

• Loop through each character in the string.

• For each character, loop through the rest of the string to find the nearest index of the same character.

• Store the result in the array.

Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, required return is the minimum return an investor expects, methods include CAPM and DDM.

• Beta measures a stock's volatility in relation to the market.

• Required return is the minimum return an investor expects to compensate for the risk of an investment.

• Methods of calculating required return include Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Dividend Discount Model (DDM).

• CAPM formula: Required Return = Risk-Free Rate + Beta * (Market Return...read more

Virtual destructors in C++ are used to ensure that the correct destructor is called when deleting an object through a base class pointer.

• Virtual destructors are declared with the 'virtual' keyword in the base class to allow proper cleanup of derived class objects.

• When deleting an object through a base class pointer, having a virtual destructor ensures that the destructor of the derived class is called.

• Without a virtual destructor, only the base class destructor would be calle...read more

Futures and forward contracts are financial agreements to buy or sell an asset at a specified price on a future date.

• Futures contracts are standardized and traded on exchanges, while forward contracts are customized and traded over-the-counter.

• Both contracts involve an agreement to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a future date.

• Futures contracts require daily settlement of gains and losses, while forward contracts settle at the end of the contract period.

• Examp...read more

Interview questions for Software Developer Intern

• Maximum meetings in one room can be calculated using greedy approach

• Bottom view of tree can be obtained using level order traversal and a map to store horizontal distance

• Serialization and deserialization of binary tree can be done using preorder traversal

• Virtual destructor in Java is automatically called while in C++ it needs to be explicitly defined

Find the missing number in an array of integers from 1 to n.

• Create a hash set to store the numbers in the array

• Loop through the numbers from 1 to n and check if they are in the hash set

• Return the number that is not in the hash set

Topological Sort is a linear ordering of vertices in a directed acyclic graph.

• It is used to find a linear ordering of elements that have dependencies.

• It is based on the concept of DFS (Depth First Search).

• It can be implemented using both DFS and BFS (Breadth First Search).

• It is commonly used in scheduling jobs, resolving dependencies, and compiling code.

• Example: Topological sorting of courses to take in a college based on prerequisites.

To find nth node from last in a linked list in one traversal

• Use two pointers, one at the head and the other at nth node from head

• Move both pointers simultaneously until the second pointer reaches the end

• The first pointer will be at the nth node from last

A 2 player chess game with standard rules and GUI

• Implement standard chess rules and moves

• Create a GUI for players to interact with the game

• Allow players to make moves and track game progress

• Incorporate checkmate and stalemate conditions

• Implement a timer for each player's turn

I have extensive exposure to the financial domain.

• I have worked as a Product Manager for a financial services company for 3 years.

• I have experience in developing and launching financial products such as credit cards, loans, and savings accounts.

• I have a good understanding of financial regulations and compliance requirements.

• I have collaborated with cross-functional teams including finance, legal, and compliance to ensure product success.

• I have also conducted market research a...read more

The left view of a tree shows the nodes visible from the left side of the tree.

• The leftmost node of each level is visible in the left view.

• Nodes to the right of the leftmost node are not visible in the left view.

• The left view can be obtained using a depth-first search or a breadth-first search algorithm.