5 ms·

Were they well known for it because they did it, or because people assumed they did it? An awful lot of people immediately jump to "stupid brain teasers" when

Were they well known for it because they did it, or because people assumed they did it? An awful lot of people immediately jump to "stupid brain teasers" when hearing "they ask technical questions". I have people write code and solve actual problems during interviews, and have gotten several "these kinds of riddles are a waste of time" responses from people who are offended by the notion that I want them to be competent.

potatolicious 14y ago
From my limited anecdotes of the time, I believe Google actually did it. We're not talking about programming-related brain teasers here, we're talking about non-programming ones. e.g., "3 light bulbs in a room" and "family crossing the bridge" being the classic examples.
- papsosouid 14y ago
  I've heard the same thing, always from unreliable "I heard" sources. I've never heard anyone who actually did interviews or was interviewed say that.
  - coliveira 14y ago
    I was interviewed by Google and had to answer this "brain teaser" kind of questions. So, no, it is not just folklore.
    - papsosouid 14y ago
      Can you be specific with some examples? As demonstrated elsewhere in the thread, some people perceive the same questions as appropriate and others perceive them as "brain teasers".
- debacle 14y ago
  Never heard the family crossing the bridge one. Which one is that?
  - potatolicious 14y ago
    You have a bridge that can only take a certain amount of weight at once without collapsing. It's dark at night and you have only one flashlight. A flashlight is required to cross the bridge, which is traversable in both directions. You have a family of people of varying weights (the exact numbers you'd have to look up) - determine the optimal way for the family to make it across the bridge.
    - debacle 14y ago
      Thanks. I don't think that's a bad one. In fact, like the Towers of Hanoi, I think it has enough parallels with computer science and engineering to be a good interview question.
      - usea 14y ago
        Indeed, it is a specific instance of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knapsack_problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knapsack_problem
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potatolicious 14y ago

From my limited anecdotes of the time, I believe Google actually did it. We're not talking about programming-related brain teasers here, we're talking about non-programming ones. e.g., "3 light bulbs in a room" and "family crossing the bridge" being the classic examples.

papsosouid 14y ago
I've heard the same thing, always from unreliable "I heard" sources. I've never heard anyone who actually did interviews or was interviewed say that.
- coliveira 14y ago
  I was interviewed by Google and had to answer this "brain teaser" kind of questions. So, no, it is not just folklore.
  - papsosouid 14y ago
    Can you be specific with some examples? As demonstrated elsewhere in the thread, some people perceive the same questions as appropriate and others perceive them as "brain teasers".
debacle 14y ago
Never heard the family crossing the bridge one. Which one is that?
- potatolicious 14y ago
  You have a bridge that can only take a certain amount of weight at once without collapsing. It's dark at night and you have only one flashlight. A flashlight is required to cross the bridge, which is traversable in both directions. You have a family of people of varying weights (the exact numbers you'd have to look up) - determine the optimal way for the family to make it across the bridge.
  - debacle 14y ago
    Thanks. I don't think that's a bad one. In fact, like the Towers of Hanoi, I think it has enough parallels with computer science and engineering to be a good interview question.
    - usea 14y ago
      Indeed, it is a specific instance of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knapsack_problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knapsack_problem

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