Count minimum cost in interval list
Last updated: January 5, 2026
Quick Overview
Count the number of minimum cost in the given linked list.
Vercel
Coding & Algorithms
Software Engineer
Vercel
January 5, 2026Software Engineer
Take-home Project
Coding & Algorithms
Medium
9
6
2,231 solved
Count the number of minimum cost in the given linked list.
Vercel uses this problem in the Take-home Project 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
- 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
Data structure selection and trade-offs
Common algorithm patterns (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS)
Dynamic programming and memoization
Time and space complexity analysis
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
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
Sharpen Your Skills on Codemia
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
The problem is to count the number of minimum costs in a given linked list. This can be approached using a single-pass traversal with a two-pointer technique. The reason for using this pattern...
Approach
- Initialization: Start by setting two variables -
min_costto a very high value andmin_countto zero. - Traversal: Use a single pointer to traverse the linked list. For each node: ...
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