You don't get it. :) Algorithmic interviews like that test your capacity for bullshit. They're like "I know I'm testing you on irrelevant bullshit, but I want

You don't get it. :) Algorithmic interviews like that test your capacity for bullshit. They're like "I know I'm testing you on irrelevant bullshit, but I want to see you succumb to my unreasonable demands to have studied trie-based search, because that means you are more likely to swallow any other bullshit I'll throw at you on the job".