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Its also a different kind of problem. Its not really problem solving, though it masquerades as such. Its memorization. Plain and simple, you know the techniques

Its also a different kind of problem. Its not really problem solving, though it masquerades as such. Its memorization. Plain and simple, you know the techniques or you don't. Studying at length for those kinds of problems is extremely unfulfilling, especially for curious minds who have long realized there are far more actually interesting and useful problems to solve out there than there is time left to live. And yet, here we all are jumping through hoops because nobody has figured out how to test for real job skills.

sanderjd 6y ago
It isn't pure problem solving but it also isn't memorization "plain and simple". It's a mix. It's unlikely you'll see exactly the same question as one you studied. The problem solving portion is figuring out how to apply one of the techniques you've learned to a novel problem.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- withinboredom 6y ago
  There are only so many algorithms and so many patterns.
  - colinmhayes 6y ago
    Recognizing the pattern is the problem solving part of the problem.
    - cloverich 6y ago
      I think the argument is that recognizing the algorithm part through the (usually thin) facade is very easy, once you know the (common) DS&A questions well. I.e. there is a lot of challenge in learning the algorithms, and little to no challenge in recognizing it through the problem. Examples where a person knows the underlying DS&A very well but is unable to recognize the nature of the problem would be a great counter argument.
  - sanderjd 6y ago
    Yes but there is an infinite number of ways to ask the questions.
- cloverich 6y ago
  I say "plain and simple" because IME people tend to overestimate the novelty of problems and underestimate the impact of "memorized" problems for solving new ones. 3 months of studying for an interview, while extremely annoying, is generally speaking a pretty small amount of time needed to cover a field as vast and complex as DS&A. And yet it is more than sufficient for most because there's extremely little novelty in the problems being asked. They want you to solve classic algorithms, but either dont' want to tell you so or (more commonly, IME) don't realize they are asking classic algorithm problems and only think they are asking some novel problem. Even "simple" techniques will be impossible for a person to solve in an interview setting, and yet if they've seen it before the interviewer will think they are a brilliant programmer. Its a memorization game even though it doesn't directly look like one. IMHO.
- dominotw 6y ago
  > It's unlikely you'll see exactly the same question as one you studied. FB only asks leetcode questions tagged with 'Facebook'. 100%. I know ppl who memorized these questions and got in.
  - sanderjd 6y ago
    Well that's even stupider than what most companies do, which is already stupid.

sanderjd 6y ago

It isn't pure problem solving but it also isn't memorization "plain and simple". It's a mix. It's unlikely you'll see exactly the same question as one you studied. The problem solving portion is figuring out how to apply one of the techniques you've learned to a novel problem.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
withinboredom 6y ago
There are only so many algorithms and so many patterns.
- colinmhayes 6y ago
  Recognizing the pattern is the problem solving part of the problem.
  - cloverich 6y ago
    I think the argument is that recognizing the algorithm part through the (usually thin) facade is very easy, once you know the (common) DS&A questions well. I.e. there is a lot of challenge in learning the algorithms, and little to no challenge in recognizing it through the problem. Examples where a person knows the underlying DS&A very well but is unable to recognize the nature of the problem would be a great counter argument.
- sanderjd 6y ago
  Yes but there is an infinite number of ways to ask the questions.
cloverich 6y ago
I say "plain and simple" because IME people tend to overestimate the novelty of problems and underestimate the impact of "memorized" problems for solving new ones. 3 months of studying for an interview, while extremely annoying, is generally speaking a pretty small amount of time needed to cover a field as vast and complex as DS&A. And yet it is more than sufficient for most because there's extremely little novelty in the problems being asked. They want you to solve classic algorithms, but either dont' want to tell you so or (more commonly, IME) don't realize they are asking classic algorithm problems and only think they are asking some novel problem. Even "simple" techniques will be impossible for a person to solve in an interview setting, and yet if they've seen it before the interviewer will think they are a brilliant programmer. Its a memorization game even though it doesn't directly look like one. IMHO.
dominotw 6y ago
> It's unlikely you'll see exactly the same question as one you studied. FB only asks leetcode questions tagged with 'Facebook'. 100%. I know ppl who memorized these questions and got in.
- sanderjd 6y ago
  Well that's even stupider than what most companies do, which is already stupid.