What are some common algorithm interview questions?

What are some common algorithm interview questions?

Common algorithm interview questions include:

1. Reverse a string.
2. Find the maximum subarray sum.
3. Implement a binary search.
4. Merge two sorted arrays.
5. Check if a string is a palindrome.

Can you explain how to implement a binary search?

Sure! A binary search works on sorted arrays. It repeatedly divides the search interval in half. Here's a simple implementation in Python:

def binary_search(arr, target):
    left, right = 0, len(arr) - 1
    while left <= right:
        mid = left + (right - left) // 2
        if arr[mid] == target:
            return mid
        elif arr[mid] < target:
            left = mid + 1
        else:
            right = mid - 1
    return -1

What is the time complexity of binary search?

The time complexity of binary search is O(log n), where n is the number of elements in the array. This is because the search space is halved with each iteration.

Can you give me an example of a maximum subarray sum problem?

Certainly! The maximum subarray sum problem asks you to find the contiguous subarray within a one-dimensional array of numbers that has the largest sum. For example, in the array [-2,1,-3,4,-1,2,1,-5,4], the maximum subarray is [4,-1,2,1], which has a sum of 6.