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The author suggests studying Programming Pearls. Bentley wrote there: As soon as we settled on the problem to be solved, I ran to my nearest copy of Knuth's _S
by tjr 6y ago
The author suggests studying Programming Pearls. Bentley wrote there:
As soon as we settled on the problem to be solved, I ran to my nearest copy of Knuth's _Seminumerical Algorithms_ (having copies of Knuth's three volumes both at home and at work has been well worth the investment). Because I had studied the book carefully a decade earlier, I vaguely recalled that it contained several algorithms for problems like this. After spending a few minutes considering several possible designs that we'll study shortly, I realized that Algorithm S in Knuth's Section 3.4.2 was the ideal solution to my problem.
Why is vaguely recalling an algorithm studied years prior and needing to look it up indicative of a poor candidate in an interview?
- tantalor 6y ago> Why is vaguely recalling an algorithm studied years prior and needing to look it up indicative of a poor candidate in an interview? The article does not imply that it does.
- blonde_ocean 6y agoThe article doesn’t but I think OP’s point was that relying on knowledge / algorithms designed and provided by others would mean an immediate fail in a FAANG interview, but it’s exactly what successful engineers do when employed at FAANGs.
- btilly 6y agoAnd the reason is that you have to stand out from other candidates. If enough candidates do know algorithms on the whiteboard, then they can set the bar that high.