Count median in graph

Last updated: August 8, 2025

Quick Overview

Given a directed graph represented as an adjacency list, write a function to calculate the median of the values associated with the nodes. The function should take the graph as input and return the median value as a float. If the number of values is even, return the average of the two middle values.

TikTok
Coding & Algorithms
Software Engineer
TikTok
August 8, 2025
Software Engineer
Technical Screen
Coding & Algorithms
Easy

3

14

3,249 solved


Given a directed graph represented as an adjacency list, write a function to calculate the median of the values associated with the nodes. The function should take the graph as input and return the median value as a float. If the number of values is even, return the average of the two middle values.

TikTok uses this problem in the Technical Screen to evaluate your algorithmic thinking. They expect you to discuss multiple approaches, analyze trade-offs between them, and implement the optimal solution with clean, readable code.

What the Interviewer Expects
  • Identify the correct data structure and algorithm for the problem
  • Write clean, bug-free code with proper variable naming
  • Analyze time and space complexity correctly
  • Handle basic edge cases (empty input, single element)
  • Communicate your thought process while coding
Key Topics to Cover
Edge cases and input validation
Graph algorithms and traversal
Binary search and divide and conquer
Dynamic programming and memoization
Data structure selection and trade-offs
Common algorithm patterns (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS)
How to Approach This
  1. Clarify input constraints and edge cases before writing code.
  2. Walk through your approach verbally and confirm with the interviewer before coding.
  3. Start with a brute force solution, then optimize. Mention time and space complexity.
  4. Test your solution with examples, including edge cases like empty input or duplicates.
  5. Consider common patterns: sliding window, two pointers, hash map, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming.
Possible Follow-up Questions
  • What is the worst-case input for your solution?
  • What happens if the input contains duplicates?
  • Can you solve this in a single pass?
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Sample Answer
Problem Analysis

In this problem, we are tasked with calculating the median of values associated with nodes in a directed graph represented as an adjacency list. The graph structure suggests that we need to traverse n...

Approach
  1. Graph Traversal: We will iterate through the adjacency list to gather the values associated with each node.
  2. Value Collection: Using a list, we will append each node's value during our t...

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