Count cycle in string
Last updated: June 2, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a string, count the number of distinct cycles that can be formed by rearranging its characters. A cycle is defined as a sequence of characters that can be rotated to produce different arrangements. The input will be a string, and the output should be an integer representing the count of unique cycles.
Databricks
June 2, 202664
15
3,427 solved
Given a string, count the number of distinct cycles that can be formed by rearranging its characters. A cycle is defined as a sequence of characters that can be rotated to produce different arrangements. The input will be a string, and the output should be an integer representing the count of unique cycles.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Technical Screen at Databricks. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. Databricks expects candidates to write production-quality code, not just solve the puzzle.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Recognize the underlying problem pattern (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS, etc.)
- Discuss multiple approaches and trade-offs before coding
- Implement an optimal solution with clean, production-quality code
- Handle all edge cases including boundary conditions and invalid input
- Optimize both time and space complexity with clear justification
- Test your solution systematically with well-chosen examples
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
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
- How would you test this solution thoroughly?
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To solve the problem of counting distinct cycles that can be formed by rearranging the characters of a string, we need to recognize that cycles are equivalent under rotation. This means that a string ...
Approach
- Create a function that generates all possible rotations of the string. For a string of length
n, we will createnrotations. - Use a set to store unique cycles. Sets inherently manag...
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