2500+ Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

Count number of ways to reach 20 on number line starting from 0 in steps of 1 or 2. Derive recursive formula for n+1.

• Use dynamic programming to count number of ways for each step.

• For each step, number of ways is sum of number of ways for previous 1 or 2 steps.

• Recursive formula: ways[n+1] = ways[n] + ways[n-1]

Implement Boyer Moore Algorithm to find all occurrences of a pattern in a given text.

• Use Boyer Moore Algorithm to efficiently search for the pattern in the text.

• Iterate through the text and compare the pattern with each substring to find matches.

• Return an array of indexes where the pattern is found, or -1 if no occurrence is found.

Rotate a given array to the left by K steps.

• Create a new array to store the rotated elements.

• Use modular arithmetic to handle cases where K is greater than the array size.

• Shift elements to the left by K positions and fill in the remaining elements from the original array.

• Return the rotated array.

Denormalization, indexing, caching, and partitioning can improve query performance.

• Denormalize the data to reduce the number of joins required for queries.

• Create indexes on frequently queried columns to speed up search.

• Cache frequently accessed data in memory to avoid disk reads.

• Partition large tables into smaller ones to reduce the amount of data that needs to be scanned.

• Use query optimization techniques like query rewriting and query hints.

• Consider using NoSQL databases for...read more

I would be willing to pay 50 paise to play this game.

• The expected value of the game is 50 paise.

• This is because the probability of getting consecutive heads is 1/3 and the probability of getting consecutive tails is 1/4.

• Therefore, the expected value of the game is (1/3 * 1) - (1/4 * 1) = 1/12 = 8.33 paise.

• However, since the minimum amount that can be won is Re. 1, I would be willing to pay 50 paise to play the game.

The task is to find the first petrol pump from which a truck can complete a full circle or determine if it's impossible.

• Iterate through each petrol pump and calculate the remaining petrol after reaching the next pump.

• If the remaining petrol is negative at any point, reset the starting pump to the next pump and continue.

• If the total remaining petrol at the end is non-negative, return the index of the starting pump.

• If the total remaining petrol is negative, it's impossible to c...read more

The goal is to find the maximum sum of a non-empty contiguous subarray within an array of integers.

• Iterate through the array and keep track of the maximum sum of subarrays encountered so far.

• Use Kadane's algorithm to efficiently find the maximum subarray sum.

• Consider edge cases like all negative numbers in the array.

• Example: For input [1, -3, 4, -2, -1, 6], the maximum subarray sum is 7 (subarray [4, -2, -1, 6]).

Networking refers to the practice of connecting devices together to share resources and communicate with each other.

• Networking involves the use of protocols and standards such as TCP/IP, DNS, and HTTP.

• Networking can be done through wired or wireless connections.

• Networking can be used for various purposes such as sharing files, printers, and internet access.

• Networking can be secured through the use of firewalls, encryption, and authentication.

• Examples of networking devices inc...read more

Active Directory is a Microsoft service that manages network resources and user access.

• Active Directory is used to manage user accounts, computers, and other network resources.

• It allows for centralized authentication and authorization for users and computers in a network.

• Roles can be managed through Active Directory by assigning users to specific groups with corresponding permissions.

• Examples of roles that can be managed through Active Directory include domain administrators,...read more

Go second. The probability of winning is higher when going second.

• The probability of winning when going first is (1/n+1), while the probability of winning when going second is (n/n+1)

• This is because the first player has a chance of drawing the black ball on their turn, while the second player has a chance of drawing the black ball on their turn or the first player's turn

• For example, if there are 10 red balls and 1 black ball, the probability of winning when going first is 1/1...read more

Design a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache data structure that supports get and put operations with capacity constraint.

• Implement a doubly linked list to keep track of the order of keys based on their recent usage.

• Use a hashmap to store key-value pairs for quick access.

• When capacity is reached, evict the least recently used item before inserting a new item.

• Update the order of keys in the linked list whenever a key is accessed or inserted.

You can map the bulbs to their corresponding switches by toggling two switches and leaving one switch untouched.

• Toggle switch 1 and switch 2, leave switch 3 untouched.

• After a few minutes, toggle switch 2 back to its original position.

• Enter the room and observe the bulbs.

• The bulb that is on corresponds to switch 1, the bulb that is off and still warm corresponds to switch 2, and the bulb that is off and cool corresponds to switch 3.

There are (N-1)! ways to eat chocolates from left to right.

• The first chocolate can be chosen in N ways, the second in (N-1) ways, and so on.

• However, since the order of chocolates eaten matters, we need to divide by the number of ways to order N chocolates, which is N!.

• Therefore, the total number of ways to eat chocolates is (N-1)!

• For example, if N=4, there are 3! = 6 ways to eat the chocolates.

Compute working days using given functions f, g, and h.

• To compute the 3rd working day, apply function g three times to function f.

• To compute the 2nd working day of the previous month, apply function h to function f, then apply function g twice.

• To compute the 4th working day of the next month, apply function g four times to function f.

To segment a population based on attributes, use clustering algorithms like k-means or hierarchical clustering.

• Identify relevant attributes such as age, income, education level, etc.

• Normalize the data to ensure all attributes are on the same scale.

• Choose a clustering algorithm based on the size of the dataset and the desired number of segments.

• Evaluate the results using metrics like silhouette score or within-cluster sum of squares.

• Use SAS and proc sql to perform the analysis...read more

Five people can find the average of their numbers using a secure method without revealing their individual numbers.

• Each person adds a random number (e.g., 10) to their own number before sharing it.

• They share the modified numbers with each other.

• The average of the modified numbers is calculated.

• To find the actual average, subtract the random number from the result.

To expand into more countries, the IT sector multinational can adopt a market entry strategy that includes market research, partnerships, localization, and scalability.

• Conduct thorough market research to identify potential countries for expansion

• Establish strategic partnerships with local companies to leverage their knowledge and networks

• Adapt products and services to meet the specific needs and preferences of each target market

• Ensure scalability of operations to handle the i...read more

The interview questions cover various financial concepts such as capital market, trade life cycle, options, mutual funds, and bond market.

• Capital market refers to the market for buying and selling of securities such as stocks and bonds.

• Trade life cycle involves the steps involved in a trade from initiation to settlement.

• Option is a contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price on or before a certain dat...read more

Yes, I prefer coding in C and have read The C Programming Language book. I have also explored the concept of Inheritance in C.

• I find C to be a powerful and efficient language for system programming.

• Yes, I have read The C Programming Language book by Dennis Retchie and found it to be a great resource.

• Recently, I have been exploring the concept of Inheritance in C through various online resources and tutorials.

• While C does not have built-in support for Inheritance, it is possib...read more

Using bitwise operator to check the last bit of the number.

• Use bitwise AND operator with 1 to check the last bit of the number.

• If the result is 0, the number is even. If the result is 1, the number is odd.

• Example: 6 & 1 = 0 (even), 7 & 1 = 1 (odd)

Advise the nimbu paani wala on how to start saving for the future.

• Encourage him to set a savings goal and create a budget to achieve it.

• Suggest he start small by saving a small percentage of his daily income.

• Recommend he explore investment options to grow his savings over time.

• Remind him to continue setting aside enough money for his daily expenses.

• Provide resources or education on financial literacy to help him make informed decisions.

The camel can maximize the number of bananas delivered by making multiple trips with a decreasing number of bananas each time.

• The camel should start by carrying the maximum number of bananas it can transport.

• After each trip, the camel should leave one banana behind and carry the rest to the destination.

• This way, the camel can make multiple trips with decreasing numbers of bananas until all bananas are delivered.

To measure 9 minutes using two hourglasses of 4 and 7 minutes, start both hourglasses simultaneously. When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, flip it again. When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, flip it again. When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the third time, 9 minutes will have passed.

• Start both hourglasses simultaneously

• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, flip it again

• When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, flip it again

• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the thir...read more

The average number of people coming to the airport daily can be calculated by taking the total number of people arriving and departing and dividing it by two.

• Collect data on the number of arrivals and departures for a given period, such as a week or a month.

• Add the number of arrivals and departures together to get the total number of people coming to the airport.

• Divide the total number by the number of days in the period to get the average number of people coming to the airpo...read more

Counting permutations where numbers between u and i+1 are less than i for all i in the permutation.

• The first number in the permutation must be 1.

• For each i in the permutation, all numbers between u and i+1 must be less than i.

• Use dynamic programming to count the number of valid permutations.

• The answer is (n-1)th Catalan number.

• Example: for n=4, the answer is 5.

Yes, an algorithm I designed at Microsoft can be applied to a problem in the stock market domain.

• I designed an algorithm at Microsoft that can be used in the stock market domain

• The algorithm can be applied to solve a specific problem in the stock market

• The work I did at Microsoft has potential applications in the financial industry

Probability of a rectangle being inside a unit circle with p chosen uniformly on the circle and q inside the circle.

• The probability can be found by calculating the ratio of the area of the rectangle to the area of the circle.

• The area of the circle is pi and the area of the rectangle can be found using the distance between p and q.

• The probability is 1/4.

• Example: If the distance between p and q is 0.5, then the area of the rectangle is 0.25 and the probability is 0.25/pi.