Detect anagram in linked list
Last updated: January 23, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a linked list of characters, determine if any contiguous sublist forms an anagram of a given target string. The function should return true if such an anagram exists within the linked list, and false otherwise. The solution should efficiently traverse the linked list while maintaining a count of character frequencies.
ServiceNow
January 23, 20267
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3,027 solved
Given a linked list of characters, determine if any contiguous sublist forms an anagram of a given target string. The function should return true if such an anagram exists within the linked list, and false otherwise. The solution should efficiently traverse the linked list while maintaining a count of character frequencies.
Coding interviews at ServiceNow focus on problem-solving approach as much as the final solution. The interviewer wants to see you break down the problem, consider edge cases, and optimize iteratively. Communication throughout the process is key.
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
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- How would you test this solution thoroughly?
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
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Problem Analysis
To determine if any contiguous sublist of a linked list forms an anagram of a given target string, we can utilize the sliding window technique. This pattern is ideal here as it allows us to mainta...
Approach
- Count Frequencies of Target String: Create a frequency map (hash table) for the characters in the target string. For example, for the target 'abc', the frequency map would be `{ 'a': 1, 'b': 1,...
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