microsoft | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified
Interview Process
The interview consisted of two main questions focused on dynamic programming. The candidate was asked to solve problems involving arrays and optimization techniques.
Technical Questions
- Given two arrays of length n, arr1 and arr2, you are asked to take k positions of elements from them. Denote the lesser of the sum of the elements selected in arr1 and the sum of the elements selected in arr2 as r. Find the largest r.
- Example: arr1 = [6, 3, 6, 5, 1], arr2 = [1, 4, 5, 9, 2], k = 3. The candidate needs to pick positions (0, 2, 3) with r = min(6 + 6 + 5, 1 + 5 + 9) = 15.
Tips & Insights
The candidate utilized dynamic programming techniques, specifically backpack algorithms, to solve the problems. It’s important to be prepared for challenging questions that require a strong understanding of data structures and algorithms, particularly dynamic programming.