I kind of agree with you that in practice very few jobs actually require any implementation of textbook algorithms. The weird thing is that while people keep c

I kind of agree with you that in practice very few jobs actually require any implementation of textbook algorithms. The weird thing is that while people keep complaining about the focus on algorithms in the interview context, it seems like nobody objects when it comes to the recommended CS education. I think there is a deep dissonance when people strongly recommend learning data structures and algorithms as part of CS and software engineering curriculum, but then when employers actually ask about these in interviews there is strong pushback. I personally tend to think the right balance is in the middle. At least, whatever is taught in a typical software engineering curriculum should be fair game for interview questions. The “number of islands” problem could be something that comes up in a DSA assignment in college. I don’t know whether not knowing how to code it up in an interview setting makes you a bad engineer, but those who still remember their college classes got ahead of you apparently. I often argue and get downvoted in the discussions when I claim algorithms and advanced math isn’t really needed as a prerequisite in the software industry. It’s only when people get gatekept for forgetting things taught in their college classes that they complain. Imagine that.