Find connected components in graph

Last updated: December 11, 2025

Quick Overview

Given a matrix, find the shortest distance efficiently using Two Pointers.

Visa
Coding & Algorithms
Software Engineer
Visa
December 11, 2025
Software Engineer
Take-home Project
Coding & Algorithms
Easy

35

13

4,709 solved


Given a matrix, find the shortest distance efficiently using Two Pointers.

Visa 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
  • 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
Time and space complexity analysis
Edge cases and input validation
Data structure selection and trade-offs
Graph algorithms and traversal
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?
  • How would you modify your solution to handle streaming input?
  • What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
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