Python Coding Interview Handbook
This handbook contains common coding interview problems, explanations, optimized
solutions, and complexity analysis.
Table of Contents
Two Sum
Next Greater Element
Maximum Stock Profit
Valid Parentheses
Binary Search
Merge Intervals
Sliding Window Maximum
Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
Reverse Linked List
Detect Cycle in Linked List
Binary Tree Traversal
Lowest Common Ancestor
Breadth-First Search
Depth-First Search
Topological Sort
Dijkstra's Algorithm
Knapsack Problem
Longest Common Subsequence
Coin Change
Word Ladder
Two Sum
Problem:
Explain the Two Sum problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Next Greater Element
Problem:
Explain the Next Greater Element problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Maximum Stock Profit
Problem:
Explain the Maximum Stock Profit problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Valid Parentheses
Problem:
Explain the Valid Parentheses problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Binary Search
Problem:
Explain the Binary Search problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Merge Intervals
Problem:
Explain the Merge Intervals problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Sliding Window Maximum
Problem:
Explain the Sliding Window Maximum problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters
Problem:
Explain the Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters problem and expected
input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Reverse Linked List
Problem:
Explain the Reverse Linked List problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Detect Cycle in Linked List
Problem:
Explain the Detect Cycle in Linked List problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Binary Tree Traversal
Problem:
Explain the Binary Tree Traversal problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Lowest Common Ancestor
Problem:
Explain the Lowest Common Ancestor problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Breadth-First Search
Problem:
Explain the Breadth-First Search problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Depth-First Search
Problem:
Explain the Depth-First Search problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Topological Sort
Problem:
Explain the Topological Sort problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Dijkstra's Algorithm
Problem:
Explain the Dijkstra's Algorithm problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Knapsack Problem
Problem:
Explain the Knapsack Problem problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Longest Common Subsequence
Problem:
Explain the Longest Common Subsequence problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Coin Change
Problem:
Explain the Coin Change problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.
Word Ladder
Problem:
Explain the Word Ladder problem and expected input/output.
Approach:
Discuss the brute-force solution followed by the optimized approach.
Python Example:
def solution(...):
pass
Time Complexity: O(n) (example)
Space Complexity: O(1) or O(n) depending on the approach.
Interview Tips:
Explain trade-offs, edge cases, and possible optimizations before coding.