Cracking Google's Machine Learning Intern Interview: Tackling Linked Lists & Water Distribution Challenges

Software Engineering
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google | Machine Learning Intern | Interview Experience

Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Rejected
Difficulty: Not specified

Interview Process

The interview consisted of two rounds.

  1. First Round: The candidate was asked to extract all nodes from a linked list that meet certain criteria. A follow-up question involved finding the top k elements.

  2. Second Round: The candidate faced a water distribution problem where all buckets had the same limited capacity. The challenge was to design a system that minimizes the number of buckets used while also minimizing the maximum water capacity of any bucket. A follow-up question required the candidate to consider a scenario where a total of x + y liters of water needed to be distributed, with the first bucket required to hold x liters, while maintaining the same goals as before.

Technical Questions

  1. Linked List Filter (Linked List, Filter)
  2. Water Distribution Problem (Greedy, Sorting, Optimization)

Tips & Insights

  • Be prepared for follow-up questions that may require additional optimization or constraints.
  • Practice similar problems to improve problem-solving skills in a time-constrained environment.