Check Whether Deleting at Most K Characters Can Form a Palindrome
Last updated: August 3, 2026
Quick Overview
Determine if it is possible to delete at most K characters from a given string to form a palindrome.
Meta
August 3, 20264
0
37 solved
Determine if it is possible to delete at most K characters from a given string to form a palindrome.
This question is typically asked during onsite interviews at Meta to assess a candidate's problem-solving and coding skills. Interviewers are looking for a clear understanding of string manipulation and algorithmic efficiency, as well as the ability to implement a solution that balances correctness and performance. Candidates are expected to demonstrate their thought process while coding, showcasing their ability to handle complex algorithms.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Clearly explain the approach to solving the problem.
- Provide an efficient algorithm with a focus on time and space complexity.
- Implement the solution in Python with correct syntax and logic.
- Discuss potential edge cases and how the solution handles them.
- Explain the reasoning behind the chosen algorithm and any trade-offs involved.
Key Topics to Cover
How to Approach This
- Clarify input constraints and edge cases before writing code.
- Walk through your approach verbally and confirm with the interviewer before coding.
- Start with a brute force solution, then optimize. Mention time and space complexity.
- Test your solution with examples, including edge cases like empty input or duplicates.
- Consider common patterns: sliding window, two pointers, hash map, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- How would your approach change if K was significantly larger?
- Can you explain the time complexity of your solution?
- What would you do if the input string contained special characters?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Approach
To determine if we can form a palindrome by deleting at most K characters, we can use a two-pointer technique. We will maintain two pointers, one at the beginning and one at the end of the string. If ...
Algorithm
Here is the Python implementation of the algorithm:
def can_form_palindrome(s: str, k: int) -> bool:
left, right = 0, len(s) - 1
deletions = 0
while left < right:
if s[...
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