Detect subsequence in linked list
Last updated: February 5, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a linked list and a sequence of integers, determine if the sequence exists as a subsequence within the linked list. The function should return true if the subsequence is found, and false otherwise. The solution should efficiently traverse the linked list while checking for the presence of the subsequence.
SentinelOne
February 5, 202664
3
2,794 solved
Given a linked list and a sequence of integers, determine if the sequence exists as a subsequence within the linked list. The function should return true if the subsequence is found, and false otherwise. The solution should efficiently traverse the linked list while checking for the presence of the subsequence.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Take-home Project at SentinelOne. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. SentinelOne expects candidates to write production-quality code, not just solve the puzzle.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Quickly identify the optimal approach and its theoretical basis
- Handle complex algorithm design with multiple interacting components
- Write concise, elegant code under time pressure
- Prove correctness of your approach and discuss alternative solutions
- Optimize beyond the obvious: discuss constant factor improvements
- Address follow-up variations and explain how the solution generalizes
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 happens if the input contains duplicates?
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
- How would you parallelize this solution?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To determine if a given sequence of integers is a subsequence of a linked list, we can utilize the two-pointer technique. The reason this pattern is applicable here is that it allows us to travers...
Approach
The algorithm can be broken down into the following steps:
- Initialize Pointers: Set one pointer for the linked list (
current) and another pointer for the sequence (seq_index). - **Traverse...
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