Sorting Interview Questions
Interview Questions On Sorting
Sorting is an essential task in computer science and is used in various applications. In this article, we will discuss interview questions related to sorting and the best sorting algorithm for specific scenarios.
1 - Sort 10 schools around your house by distance
Insertion sort - really fast for small data sets. It’s easy to code and understand, and has a space complexity of O(1). It’s also stable, which means that if two items have the same value, they will remain in the same order in the sorted list.
2 - eBay sorts listings by the current Bid amount
Radix or counting sort - To beat the O(n log n) time knowing the bids are integers between a set amount.
3 - Sport scores on ESPN
Quick sort - If you know the data is random, quick sort is usually the best choice. It has a worst case of O(n^2), but it’s usually much faster than that. It’s also in-place, so it doesn’t require any extra space.
4 - Massive database (can’t fit all into memory) needs to sort through past year’s user data
Merge sort - Merge sort is a great choice for sorting massive amounts of data. It’s a stable sort, so it doesn’t change the order of items with the same value. It’s also a divide and conquer algorithm, so it’s easy to implement in parallel.
5 - Almost sorted Udemy review data needs to update and add 2 new reviews
Insertion sort - If the data is almost sorted, insertion sort is a good choice. It iterates through the list, growing a sorted list behind the current location. It only takes O(n) time if the list is already sorted.
6 - Temperature Records for the past 50 years in Canada
Radix or counting sort - If you know the data is integers within a certain range, radix or counting sort is a good choice. It’s a stable sort, so it doesn’t change the order of items with the same value. It’s also a divide and conquer algorithm, so it’s easy to implement in parallel.
7 - Large user name database needs to be sorted. Data is very random
Quick sort - If you know the data is random, quick sort is usually the best choice. It has a worst case of O(n^2), but it’s usually much faster than that. It’s also in-place, so it doesn’t require any extra space.
8 - You want to teach sorting for the first time
Bubble sort - Bubble sort is a good choice for teaching sorting. It’s easy to understand, and it’s easy to implement. It’s also a stable sort, so it doesn’t change the order of items with the same value.
In conclusion, choosing the best sorting algorithm depends on the type of data and the requirements of the application. Interviewers may ask questions related to sorting to test the candidate’s knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Happy coding!!!!