Zeta SDE Intern Interview Questions and Answers

Round duration - 90 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

It was conducted in Hacker rank which consisted of 10 aptitude questions that included C, C++, Java MCQ. 2 programming questions were also given.

Q1. 
Minimum Cost Path Problem Statement
Given an N x M matrix filled with integers, determine the minimum sum obtainable from a path that starts at a specified cell (x, y) and ends at the top left corner of t...read more
Ans. 
The problem involves finding the minimum sum path from a specified cell to the top left corner of a matrix.
• Start from the specified cell and calculate the minimum sum path to reach the top left corner using dynamic programming.

• Consider the three possible moves: down, right, and down-right diagonal.

• Keep track of the minimum sum at each cell and update it based on the minimum of the three possible moves.

• Finally, the mini...read more
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Q2. 
Balanced Parentheses Combinations
Given an integer N representing the number of pairs of parentheses, find all the possible combinations of balanced parentheses using the given number of pairs.
Explanati...read more
Ans. 
Generate all possible combinations of balanced parentheses for a given number of pairs.
• Use backtracking to generate all possible combinations of balanced parentheses.

• Keep track of the number of open and close parentheses used in each combination.

• Recursively generate combinations by adding open parentheses if there are remaining, and closing parentheses if the number of open parentheses is greater than the number of clo...read more
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Technical round with questions based on data structures, oops and networking.

Q1. 
Character Counting Challenge
Create a program that counts and prints the total number of specific character types from user input. Specifically, you need to count lowercase English alphabets, numeric digi...read more
Ans. 
Create a program to count lowercase alphabets, digits, and white spaces from user input until '$' is encountered.
• Read characters from input stream until '$' is encountered

• Count lowercase alphabets, digits, and white spaces separately

• Print the counts of each character type as three integers separated by spaces
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Q2. 
K Largest Elements Problem Statement
Given an unsorted array containing 'N' integers, you are required to find 'K' largest elements from the array and return them in non-decreasing order.
Input:
The fir...read more
Ans. 
Find K largest elements in an unsorted array and return them in non-decreasing order.
• Sort the array in non-decreasing order.

• Return the last K elements of the sorted array.
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Q3. How can you check whether you have an internet connection on your system?
Ans. 
To check internet connection on a system, you can use various methods like pinging a website or checking network status.
• Use ping command to check connectivity to a website (e.g. ping www.google.com)

• Check network status using network settings or command line tools

• Try accessing a website or online service to verify internet connection
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Q4. What happens when you type a URL in a web browser?
Ans. 
When you type a URL in a web browser, the browser sends a request to the server hosting the website, which then responds with the necessary files to display the webpage.
• Browser checks cache for DNS resolution

• If not found, browser sends a DNS query to resolve the domain name to an IP address

• Browser establishes a TCP connection with the server

• Browser sends an HTTP request to the server for the webpage

• Server processes the...read more
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Technical round with questions based on data structures, oops and networking.

Q1. 
Counting Sort Problem Statement
Ninja is learning about sorting algorithms, specifically those that do not rely on comparisons. Can you help Ninja implement the counting sort algorithm?
Example:
Input:
...read more
Ans. 
Implement counting sort algorithm to sort an array of integers without comparisons.
• Count the frequency of each element in the input array.

• Calculate the prefix sum of frequencies to determine the position of each element in the sorted array.

• Place each element in its correct position based on the prefix sum.

• Time complexity of counting sort is O(n+k), where n is the number of elements and k is the range of input.

• Example: ...read more
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Q2. What are the applications of the Fibonacci series in real life?
Ans. 
The Fibonacci series has applications in various fields such as mathematics, computer science, art, and nature.
• Used in algorithms for optimization problems and dynamic programming.

• Found in nature, such as the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the branching of trees, and the spiral shapes of shells.

• Applied in financial markets for predicting stock prices and analyzing market trends.

• Utilized in art and design for creating
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Round duration - 30 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

HR round where the interviewer asked questions to know more about me.

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

Technical Interview Round with questions based on Data structures, OOPS and SQL.

Q1. 
Delete a Node from a Linked List
You are provided with a linked list of integers. Your task is to implement a function that deletes a node located at a specified position 'POS'.
Input:
The first line co...read more
Ans. 
Implement a function to delete a node from a linked list at a specified position.
• Traverse the linked list to find the node at the specified position.

• Update the pointers of the previous and next nodes to skip the node to be deleted.

• Handle edge cases such as deleting the head or tail of the linked list.

• Ensure to free the memory of the deleted node to avoid memory leaks.
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Q2. Write an SQL query to find the nth highest salary.
Ans. 
SQL query to find the nth highest salary
• Use the ORDER BY clause to sort salaries in descending order

• Use the LIMIT and OFFSET clauses to skip the first n-1 highest salaries

• Combine the above steps in a single query to find the nth highest salary
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Q3. Can you explain the concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)?
Ans. 
OOP is a programming paradigm based on the concept of objects, which can contain data in the form of fields and code in the form of procedures.
• OOP focuses on creating objects that interact with each other to solve problems.

• Key concepts include encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

• Encapsulation involves bundling data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit.

• Inheritance allows classes to inherit at...read more
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

Was asked me about my favorite technologies, What i liked about Facebook. And asked me to design a cinema ticket reservation web site­ like the one satyam has.

Q1. 
Kth Largest Element Problem
Given an array containing N distinct positive integers and a number K, determine the Kth largest element in the array.
Example:
Input:
N = 6, K = 3, array = [2, 1, 5, 6, 3, ...read more
Ans. 
Find the Kth largest element in an array of distinct positive integers.
• Sort the array in non-increasing order and return the Kth element.

• Handle multiple test cases efficiently.

• Ensure all elements in the array are distinct.
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Q2. What are virtual functions?
Ans. 
Virtual functions are functions in a base class that are overridden in derived classes to achieve runtime polymorphism.
• Virtual functions are declared in a base class with the 'virtual' keyword.

• They are overridden in derived classes using the 'override' keyword.

• They allow a function to be called based on the runtime type of an object.

• Virtual functions enable dynamic binding and late binding in C++.

• Example: virtual void ...read more
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Q3. Design a Cinema Ticket Reservation System.
Ans. 
Design a Cinema Ticket Reservation System
• Use a database to store movie information, showtimes, and seat availability

• Allow users to search for movies, select showtimes, and choose seats

• Implement a payment system for ticket purchases

• Send confirmation emails with QR codes for ticket validation
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Q4. In how many attempts can you find a defective ball among 10 given balls using a two-pan balance scale?
Ans. 
You can find a defective ball among 10 given balls in 2 attempts using a two-pan balance scale.
• Divide the 10 balls into two groups of 5 each.

• Weigh the two groups on the balance scale.

• If one group is heavier, it contains the defective ball. If they are equal, the defective ball is in the remaining 5 balls.

• Divide the group of 5 balls with the defective one into two groups of 2 and 3 balls.

• Weigh the two groups on the bala...read more
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Round duration - 30 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

HR round that lasted for about 30 minutes. The interviewer asked me questions to know more about me and a puzzle.

Q1. Can you tell me about your projects and your extracurricular activities?
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

I couldn't find an optimal approach to the first question, so she skipped that question and proceeded to next questions. Remaining questions I have answered satisfactorily.

Q1. 
Subset Sum Equal To K Problem Statement
Given an array/list of positive integers and an integer K, determine if there exists a subset whose sum equals K.
Provide true if such a subset exists, otherwise r...read more
Ans. 
Given an array of positive integers and an integer K, determine if there exists a subset whose sum equals K.
• Use dynamic programming to solve this problem efficiently

• Create a 2D array to store if a subset with a particular sum exists

• Iterate through the array and update the 2D array accordingly

• Check if the value at the end of the iteration is true for the given K
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Q2. 
BFS Traversal in a Graph
Given an undirected and disconnected graph G(V, E) where V vertices are numbered from 0 to V-1, and E represents edges, your task is to output the BFS traversal starting from the ...read more
Ans. 
BFS traversal in a disconnected graph starting from vertex 0.
• Implement BFS algorithm to traverse the graph starting from vertex 0.

• Use a queue to keep track of visited nodes and their neighbors.

• Ensure to print the traversal sequence in the correct order.

• Handle disconnected components by checking for unvisited nodes.

• Follow the BFS approach of exploring neighbors before moving to the next level.
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

I told that my strength is problem solving and I can always find a way when there is a bottle-neck. Gave some examples of my experiences while doing my assignments.

Q1. 
Replace Spaces in a String
Given a string STR consisting of words separated by spaces, your task is to replace all spaces between words with the characters "@40".
Input:
The first line contains an integ...read more
Ans. 
Replace spaces in a string with '@40'.
• Iterate through each character in the string

• Replace spaces with '@40'

• Return the modified string
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Round duration - 70 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

It consisted of three coding questions varying from easy to medium.

Q1. 
Distributing Coins in a Binary Tree
You are provided with the root of a binary tree that consists of 'N' nodes. Each node in this tree contains coins, and the total number of coins across all nodes is equ...read more
Ans. 
Determine the minimum number of moves required to distribute coins in a binary tree so that every node has exactly one coin.
• Traverse the binary tree in a bottom-up manner to distribute coins efficiently.

• Keep track of the excess or deficit of coins at each node to calculate the minimum moves required.

• Transfer coins from nodes with excess coins to nodes with deficits to balance the distribution.

• Example: For the input ROO...read more
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Q2. 
Distinct Subsets Count
Given an array arr of N integers that may include duplicates, determine the number of subsets of this array containing only distinct elements.
The result should be returned modulo ...read more
Ans. 
Count the number of distinct-element subsets in an array modulo 10^9+7.
• Iterate through the array and keep track of distinct elements using a set.

• Calculate the number of subsets using the formula 2^distinct_count - 1.

• Return the result modulo 10^9+7 for each test case.
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Q3. 
0-1 Knapsack Problem Statement
A thief is robbing a store and can carry a maximal weight 'W' in his knapsack. There are 'N' items, where the i-th item has a weight 'wi' and value 'vi'. Consider the maximu...read more
Ans. 
The 0-1 Knapsack Problem involves maximizing the value of items a thief can steal within a weight limit.
• Use dynamic programming to solve the problem efficiently.

• Create a 2D array to store the maximum value that can be achieved at each weight limit.

• Iterate through the items and weights to fill the array with optimal values.

• Return the maximum value achievable at the given weight limit.
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Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

The interview was focused on data structures as well as computer fundamentals along with puzzles.

Q1. 
Sort an Array in Wave Form
You are given an unsorted array ARR. Your task is to sort it so that it forms a wave-like array.
Input:
The first line contains an integer 'T', the number of test cases.
For ea...read more
Ans. 
Sort an array in wave form where each element is greater than or equal to its adjacent elements.
• Iterate through the array and swap adjacent elements to form a wave pattern.

• Ensure that the first element is greater than or equal to the second element.

• There can be multiple valid wave arrays, so any valid wave array is acceptable.
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Q2. 
Reverse a Linked List Problem Statement
You are given a Singly Linked List of integers. Your task is to reverse the Linked List by changing the links between nodes.
Input:
The first line of input contai...read more
Ans. 
Reverse a given singly linked list by changing the links between nodes.
• Iterate through the linked list and reverse the links between nodes

• Use three pointers to keep track of the current, previous, and next nodes

• Update the links between nodes to reverse the list

• Return the head of the reversed linked list
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Round duration - 90 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

The Round was mainly focused on resume+ dsa + system design +computer fundamentals

Q1. 
Running Median Problem
Given a stream of integers, calculate and print the median after each new integer is added to the stream.
Output only the integer part of the median.
Example:
Input:
N = 5  
Stre...read more
Ans. 
Calculate and print the median after each new integer is added to the stream.
• Use a min heap to store the larger half of the numbers and a max heap to store the smaller half.

• Keep the two heaps balanced by ensuring the size difference is at most 1.

• If the total number of elements is odd, the median is the top of the larger heap. If even, average the tops of both heaps.
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Q2. Can you explain the implementation of an LRU (Least Recently Used) Cache in a database management system?
Ans. 
LRU cache in a database management system stores most recently used data and removes least recently used data when full.
• LRU cache is implemented using a doubly linked list and a hash map.

• Each node in the linked list represents a key-value pair.

• When a key is accessed, it is moved to the front of the linked list.

• If the cache is full, the least recently used node at the end of the list is removed.

• Example: If cache size is...read more
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Q3. Design a stack that supports the getMin() operation in O(1) time and O(1) extra space.
Ans. 
Use two stacks - one to store actual values and one to store minimum values.
• Use two stacks - one to store actual values and one to store minimum values

• When pushing a new value, check if it is smaller than the current minimum and push it to the min stack if so

• When popping a value, check if it is the current minimum and pop from min stack if so

• getMin() operation can be done by peeking at the top of the min stack
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