The Times of India Reporter Interview Questions and Answers

Find all palindromic decompositions of a given string s.

• Iterate through all possible substrings and check if they are palindromes.

• Use backtracking to generate all possible decompositions.

• Return the list of palindromic decompositions.

The minimum number of coins required to express a given amount of money is calculated using a dynamic programming approach.

• Use dynamic programming to calculate the minimum number of coins required for each amount from 1 to the given amount.

• Start with the base case of 0 coins required for amount 0, then iterate through each coin type to calculate the minimum coins required for each amount.

• Choose the minimum of the curre...read more

Convert a set of integers to Roman numerals

• Create a function that takes an integer array as input

• Use a loop to iterate through each integer and convert it to Roman numeral

• Implement a mapping of integers to Roman numerals for conversion

• Return an array of strings containing the Roman numeral equivalents

Program to find lowest common ancestor of two nodes in a binary tree with unique values.

• Start from the root and traverse the tree to find the paths from root to the two nodes.

• Compare the paths to find the lowest common ancestor node.

• Use recursion to traverse the tree efficiently.

• Handle edge cases like if one of the nodes is the ancestor of the other.

Program to find longest consecutive sequence and length of longest path in a binary tree.

• Traverse the binary tree using depth-first search (DFS)

• Keep track of the current consecutive sequence length and the longest consecutive sequence found so far

• Update the length of the longest path as you traverse the tree

Return the next lexicographically greater permutation of a given sequence or return it in ascending order if not possible.

• Use the concept of lexicographic ordering to find the next permutation.

• If the sequence is already in descending order, return it in ascending order.

• Examples: ['a', 'b', 'c'] -> ['a', 'c', 'b'], ['3', '2', '1'] -> ['1', '2', '3']

Use sliding window technique to find minimum window in s containing all characters of t.

• Use two pointers to create a window in s

• Move the right pointer to expand the window until all characters of t are found

• Move the left pointer to shrink the window while maintaining all characters of t

• Update minimum window size as you iterate through s

Use a max heap to keep track of the K largest elements in a continuous stream of integers.

• Create a max heap of size K to store the K largest elements.

• For each new element in the stream, compare it with the root of the max heap. If it is larger, replace the root with the new element and heapify.

• At any point, the root of the max heap will be the Kth largest element in the stream.

Design a home monitoring system for Comcast.

• Include smart sensors for monitoring temperature, humidity, and motion

• Integrate with smart devices like thermostats, cameras, and door locks

• Provide real-time alerts and notifications to homeowners via mobile app

• Allow remote access and control of home devices

• Offer optional professional monitoring services for added security

Autocomplete feature for a search engine

• 1. Display suggestions as user types in the search bar

• 2. Suggestions should be based on popular searches or previous searches

• 3. Allow users to select a suggestion to complete their search

• 4. Update suggestions in real-time as the user continues typing

A customer relationship management platform for Comcast would focus on personalized customer interactions and efficient issue resolution.

• Implement a centralized database to store customer information and interaction history.

• Integrate communication channels such as phone, email, and chat for seamless customer support.

• Utilize data analytics to track customer behavior and preferences for targeted marketing campaigns.

• Autom...read more

A ticketing management system for a theatre to streamline ticket sales and seat allocation.

• Create an online platform for customers to purchase tickets

• Implement a seating chart to allow customers to select their seats

• Include options for different ticket types (e.g. VIP, standard, student)

• Generate electronic tickets for customers to present at the theatre entrance

• Integrate payment processing for secure transactions

Section 194q is a TDS provision on payment made for purchase of goods.

• Rate of Section 194q is 0.1% on purchase of goods exceeding Rs. 50 lakhs in a financial year.

• It is applicable to individuals and HUFs who are not required to get their accounts audited under section 44AB.

• The TDS under Section 194q is to be deducted at the time of credit of such sum to the account of the seller or at the time of payment, whichever is