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Data Structures & Algorithms

Given two sorted lists, write a function to merge them into one sorted list.

Merge Sorted Lists

Write a function n_frequent_words that returns the top N frequent words and their frequencies, and state its run-time

Get Top N Frequent Words

Given an integer N, write a function that returns all of the prime numbers up to N

Prime to N

Given an array and a target integer, write a function that returns the indices of two integers in the array that add up to the target integer.

Target Indices

Write a function `sorting` from scratch to sort a list of strings in ascending alphabetical order

Sort Strings

Machine Learning

Lasso vs Ridge

In which case would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm

Bagging vs Boosting

How does random forest generate the forest and why use it over logistic regression

Random Forest Explanation

choosing k value during k-means clustering

Choosing k

When should you use regularization versus cross-validation

Regularization and Validation

Behavioral

Describing a data project and its challenges

Hurdles In Data Projects

What do you tell an interviewer when they ask you what your strengths and weaknesses are?

Your Strengths and Weaknesses

How would you answer when an Interviewer asks why you applied to their company?

Why Do You Want to Work With Us

Select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department

2nd Highest Salary

Create top_ads with the top 3 ads and return the row counts for inner, left, right, and cross joins with ads

Size of Joins

Concurrent & Distributed Systems

How would you investigate why users on VLAN 2 can't access the internet while other VLANs work?

VLAN 2 Connectivity Issue

What’s the difference between Lasso and Ridge Regression?

Under what circumstances is it recommended to use Lasso regression over Ridge regression?

Under what circumstances is it recommended to use Lasso regression over Ridge regression?

Given the head of a singly linked list represented as a <code>ListNode</code>, and two zero-indexed positions <code>x</code> and <code>y</code>, write a function <code>swap_node</code> which swaps the positions of nodes <code>x</code> and <code>y</code> and returns the new head. Note that you cannot simply swap the values of these nodes, as these nodes do not have values. Instead, you must swap these two using pointer manipulation (i.e., modifying the <code>next</code> references of the involved nodes inside the list).

A <code>ListNode</code> is defined as:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>class ListNode:
 next: ListNode = None
</code></pre>

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>linked_list = ListNode(0x01) -&gt; ListNode(0x02) -&gt; ListNode(0x03) 
# Here, imagine that &#39;0x0_&#39; refer to their memory locations.
head = 0x01
x = 1
y = 2
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def swap_node(head, x, y) -&gt; ListNode(0x01) -&gt; ListNode(0x03) -&gt; ListNode(0x02)
</code></pre>

Swapping Nodes

Deep learning models are popular but have some drawbacks in that they’re expensive to train and maintain.

In some contexts, using other simpler models may make more sense. One possible alternative for classification problems are support vector machines (SVM).

<ul>
<li>When are SVMs preferable to deep learning models?</li>

<li>What are the pros and cons of using an SVM compared to deep or non-deep learning classification models (such as logistic regression)?</li>
</ul>

When you should consider using Support Vector Machine rather then Deep learning models

Support Vector Machines vs Deep Learning Models

What are MLE and MAP? What is the difference between the two?

Explain MLE and MAP and the difference between them

MLE vs MAP

Statistics

When an interviewer asks a question along the lines of:

<ul>
<li>What would your current manager say about you? What constructive criticisms might he give?</li>
<li>What are your three biggest strengths and weaknesses you have identified in yourself?</li>
</ul>

How would you respond?

When asked about your strengths in an interview, what is an effective way to respond?

When asked about your strengths in an interview, what is an effective way to respond?

Your Strengths and Weaknesses I

Which of the following is an acceptable strategy when discussing weaknesses in an interview?

Which of the following is an acceptable strategy when discussing weaknesses in an interview?

Your Strengths and Weaknesses II

What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression?

When would use one instead of the other in practice?

What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression?

Linear vs Logistic Regression

What does the backpropagation algorithm do in the context of neural networks? What is the informal intuition behind the algorithm? What are some drawbacks of the algorithm compared to other optimization methods?

Bonus: Formally derive the backpropagation algorithm and prove that it does what it claims to do.

Explain what backpropagation does, its informal intuition, drawbacks, and derive/prove it

Backpropagation Explanation

Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department.

Note: If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

Example:

Input:

<code>employees</code> table

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Column</th>
<th>Type</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td><code>id</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>first_name</code></td>
<td>VARCHAR</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>last_name</code></td>
<td>VARCHAR</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>salary</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>department_id</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<code>departments</code> table

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Column</th>
<th>Type</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td><code>id</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>name</code></td>
<td>VARCHAR</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Output:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Column</th>
<th>Type</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td><code>salary</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Given an integer <code>N</code>, write a function that returns a list of all of the prime numbers up to <code>N</code>.

Note: Return an empty list there are no prime numbers less than or equal to <code>N</code>.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>N = 3
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def prime_numbers(N) -&gt; [2,3]
</code></pre>

Given two sorted lists, write a function to merge them into one sorted list.

Bonus: What’s the time complexity?

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>list1 = [1,2,5]
list2 = [2,4,6]
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def merge_list(list1,list2) -&gt; [1,2,2,4,5,6]
</code></pre>

You have two sorted lists, one with m elements and one with n elements. What would be the time complexity of merging the two lists via merge sort?

You have two sorted lists, one with m elements and one with n elements. What would be the time complexity of merging the two lists via merge sort? 

Merging Lists Complexity

Tell me about a data project that didn’t go the way you expected. What did you set out to do, what surprised you, and how did you handle it?

You’re given a string that may contain the characters <code>{</code>, <code>}</code>, <code>[</code>, <code>]</code>, <code>(</code>, and <code>)</code>.

Task: Verify that the string is balanced. A balanced string is one where every opening character, <code>{</code>, <code>[</code>, or <code>(</code>, has a corresponding closing character, <code>}</code>, <code>]</code>, or <code>)</code>.

Write a function called <code>is_balanced(string: str) -&gt; bool</code> which verifies the balance of a string.

Example:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>is_balanced(&#39;(())[]{}&#39;) -&gt; True
</code></pre>

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>is_balanced(&#39;{([(){}])()}&#39;) -&gt; True
</code></pre>

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>is_balanced(&#39;{}[]())&#39;) -&gt; False
</code></pre>

<hr/>

Write a function that tests whether a string of brackets is balanced.

The Brackets Problem

Given a list of strings, write a function, <code>sorting</code> from scratch to sort the list in ascending alphabetical order.

Notes:
- Do NOT use the built-in <code>sorted</code> function
- Return the new sorted list, rather than modifying the list in-place

Bonus: Have your solution be \(O(n log(n))\).

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>array = [&#34;apple&#34;, &#34;cat&#34;, &#34;banana&#34;, &#34;zoo&#34;, &#34;football&#34;]
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def sorting(array) -&gt; [&#34;apple&#34;, &#34;banana&#34;, &#34;cat&#34;, &#34;football&#34;, &#34;zoo&#34;]
</code></pre>

Given a string <code>sentence</code>, return the same string with an addendum after each character of the number of occurrences a character appeared in the <code>sentence</code>.

Note: don’t treat the spaces <code>&#34; &#34;</code> as characters. Also; do not return the addendum for those characters that also appear in the <code>discard_list</code>.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>sentence = &#34;Interview Query&#34;

discard_list = [&#39;I&#39;,&#39;e&#39;]
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>inject_frequency(sentence, discard_list) -&gt; &#34;In1t1er2v1i1ew1 Q1u1er2y1&#34;
</code></pre>

Write a function to return the same string with each character followed by its occurrence count, excluding spaces and discard_list characters

Append Frequency

Given a <code>ListNode</code> representing the head of a linked list, write a function <code>is_cyclic</code> which returns <code>True</code> if a linked list is cyclic and <code>False</code> if it is not. A linked list is cyclic when there is no tail to the linked list, and the supposed tail is attached to another node inside the list itself, creating a cycle.

A <code>ListNode</code> is defined as:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>class ListNode:
	value: ListNode = None
 next: ListNode = None
</code></pre>

Example:

Input:

<img src="/s3/questions/1a65651d-a483-4481-b073-2738d65ab9d7.png" alt="image"/>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def is_cyclic(head) -&gt; True
</code></pre>

Cyclic Detection

Given a 2-D matrix P of predicted values and actual values, write a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics.

Return the ordered pair (precision, recall).

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>
P = [[121, 9],
 [17, 144]]
</code></pre>

where P represents the following table

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th>Predicted =TRUE</th>
<th>Predicted =FALSE</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Actual =TRUE</td>
<td>121</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>Actual =FALSE</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>144</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def precision_recall(P) -&gt; (0.931, 0.877,)
</code></pre>

Write a function to calculate precision and recall metrics.

Precision and Recall

<ol>
<li>Given an example paragraph string and an integer <code>N</code>, write a function <code>n_frequent_words</code> that returns the top <code>N</code> frequent words in the posting and the frequencies for each word.</li>

<li>What’s the function run-time?</li>
</ol>

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>posting = &#34;&#34;&#34;
Herbal sauna uses the healing properties of herbs in combination with distilled water. 
The water evaporates and distributes the effect of the herbs throughout the room. 
A visit to the herbal sauna can cause real miracles, especially for colds. 
&#34;&#34;&#34; 
n = 3
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>n_frequent_words(posting,N) = [
 (&#39;the&#39;, 6), 
 (&#39;herbal&#39;, 2), 
 (&#39;sauna&#39;, 2),
]
</code></pre>

Let’s say that you’re training a classification model.

How would you combat overfitting when building tree-based models?

Let's say that you're training a classification model.   How would you combat overfitting when building tree-based models?

Overfit Avoidance

Let’s say we’re comparing two machine learning algorithms. In which case would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm? 

Give an example of the tradeoffs between the two.

In machine learning, when would you use a bagging algorithm over a boosting algorithm?

In machine learning, when would you use a bagging algorithm over a boosting algorithm?

Bagging vs. Boosting

Given an array and a target integer, write a function <code>sum_pair_indices</code> that returns the indices of two integers in the array that add up to the target integer. If not found, just return an empty list.

Note: Can you do it on \(O(n)\) time?

Note: Even though there could be many solutions, only one needs to be returned.

Example 1:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>array = [1 2 3 4] 
target = 5 
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def sum_pair_indices(array, target) -&gt; [0 3] or [1 2]
</code></pre>

Example 2:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>array = [3]
target = 6 
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>Do NOT return [0 0] as you can&#39;t use an index twice.
</code></pre>

Given a string, write a function to determine if it is palindrome or not.

Note: A palindrome is a word/string that is read the same way forward as it is backward, e.g. <code>&#39;reviver&#39;</code>, <code>&#39;madam&#39;</code>, <code>&#39;deified&#39;</code> and <code>&#39;civic&#39;</code> are all palindromes, while <code>&#39;tree&#39;</code>, <code>&#39;music&#39;</code> and <code>&#39;person&#39;</code> are not palindromes.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>word1 = &#34;tree&#34;
word2 = &#34;radar&#34;
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def is_palindrome(word1) -&gt; False
def is_palindrome(word2) -&gt; True
</code></pre>

Given a string, write a function to determine if it is palindrome or not.

String Palindromes

Let’s say you work at Allstate. Allstate is running <code>N</code> online ads right now. The table <code>ads</code> contains all those ads, ranked by popularity via the <code>id</code> column (e.g., the entry with <code>id = 1</code> is the most popular, etc.).

Create a subquery or common table expression named <code>top_ads</code> containing the top 3 ads (by popularity) and return the number of rows that would result from the following operations

<ol>
<li><code>ads INNER JOIN top_ads</code></li>
<li><code>ads LEFT JOIN top_ads</code></li>
<li><code>ads RIGHT JOIN top_ads</code></li>
<li><code>ads CROSS JOIN top_ads</code></li>
</ol>

Note: Please make the <code>join_type</code> column in your output have the values <code>inner_join</code>, <code>left_join</code>, etc. for each of their respective join types

Note: Please return only one query with each number in a different row

Example:

Input:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Column</th>
<th>Type</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td><code>id</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>name</code></td>
<td>VARCHAR</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Output:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Column</th>
<th>Type</th>
</tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
<tr>
<td><code>join_type</code></td>
<td>VARCHAR</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><code>number_of_rows</code></td>
<td>INTEGER</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

You are given a dictionary with two keys <code>a</code> and <code>b</code> that hold integers as their values.

Without declaring any other variable, swap the value of <code>a</code> with the value of <code>b</code> and vice versa.

Note: Return the dictionary after editing it.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>numbers = {
 &#39;a&#39;:3,
 &#39;b&#39;:4
}
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def swap_values(numbers) -&gt; {&#39;a&#39;:4,&#39;b&#39;:3}
</code></pre>

Swap the values of `a` and `b` in the dictionary without declaring any other variable

Swap Variables

How does random forest generate the forest? Additionally, why would we use it over other algorithms such as logistic regression?

What happens when you average the output on multiple decision trees?

What happens when you average the output on multiple decision trees?

Average Trees

<h1>Binary Tree Validation</h1>

You are given the root of a binary tree. You need to determine if it is a valid binary search tree (BST).

A valid BST is defined as follows:

<ul>
<li>The left subtree of a node contains only nodes with values less than or equal to the node’s value.</li>
<li>The right subtree of a node contains only nodes with values greater than or equal to the node’s value.</li>
<li>Both the left and right subtrees must also be binary search trees.</li>
</ul>

Given the function <code>def is_valid_bst(root: Node) -&gt; bool:</code>, return True if the binary tree is a valid BST. Otherwise, return False.

<h3>Example:</h3>

Input:

<img src="/s3/questions/9664817c-3e12-4a40-9236-8382b13f55a0.png" alt="image"/>Converted Binary Tree.png

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def is_valid_bst(Node(3)) -&gt; True
</code></pre>

Given the root node, verify if a binary search tree is valid or not.

Binary Tree Validation

How would you handle the data preparation for building a machine learning model using imbalanced data?

Addressing imbalanced data in machine learning through carefully prepared techniques.

Data Preparation for Imbalanced Data

One of the basic steps in parsing string inputs is to check whether the opening and closing characters or tags match, i.e., to check if each opened parenthesis is closed eventually.

Given a list of strings, write a <code>string</code> <code>parser</code> that verifies the integrity of the parenthesis used in the string. The parser should return a list of booleans stating whether that string’s integrity was verified.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>list_of_strings = [
 &#39;f(x) + g(x)&#39;, 
 &#39;sin(exp(x)}&#39;, 
 &#39;((())just some string)&#39;, 
 &#39;(4,{(3,4):x**2)&#39;]
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def string_parser(list_of_strings) -&gt; [True, False, True, True]
</code></pre>

Given a list of strings, verify whether the parentheses in each string are properly opened and closed.

Check Matching Parentheses

Given a list of sorted integer lists, write a function <code>sort_lists</code> to create a combined list while maintaining sorted order without importing any libraries or using the <code>&#39;sort&#39;</code> or <code>&#39;sorted&#39;</code> functions in Python.

Example:

Input:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>lists = [
[1,2,3,4,5,6],
[2,5,7,8],
[3,9,10,12],
[0,1,2,8]
]
</code></pre>

Output:

<pre tabindex="0" class="chroma"><code>def sort_lists(lists) -&gt; [0,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,5,5,6,7,8,8,9,10,12]
</code></pre>

Write a function `sort_lists` to combine sorted integer lists into one sorted list without using libraries or `sort`/`sorted`

Merge N Sorted Lists

You are given a singly linked list, write a function to find and return the last node of the list. If the list is empty, return null.

Write a function to find and return the last node of a singly linked list. If the list is empty, return null.

Last Element of a Singly Linked List

You work as a DevOps engineer for a global SaaS company with services deployed across multiple cloud providers. The team wants to implement a cloud-agnostic CI/CD pipeline that supports safe, zero-downtime deployments for critical microservices. The deployment process should allow for rapid rollback, controlled traffic shifting, and minimal service disruption.

How would you design this CI/CD and deployment system?

Design a cloud-agnostic CI/CD pipeline supporting safe deployments and rollbacks across multiple providers.

Calculate Moving Average	SQL	Easy
Predict Customer Churn	Machine Learning	Medium
A/B Test Significance	Statistics	Medium
Optimize Query Performance	SQL	Hard
Feature Importance Analysis	Machine Learning	Medium
Clean Missing Data	Python	Easy
Neural Network Architecture	Deep Learning	Hard
Calculate Cohort Retention	SQL	Medium
Bayesian Probability	Statistics	Easy
Recommend Similar Products	Machine Learning	Hard

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