Find kth largest element in linked list
Last updated: July 28, 2025
Quick Overview
Given a singly linked list and an integer k, write a function to find the kth largest element in the linked list. The function should return the kth largest value, where k is a positive integer that does not exceed the number of elements in the list. If the list contains fewer than k elements, the function should return an error or a specific value indicating that k is out of bounds.
Anduril
July 28, 2025434
12
938 solved
Given a singly linked list and an integer k, write a function to find the kth largest element in the linked list. The function should return the kth largest value, where k is a positive integer that does not exceed the number of elements in the list. If the list contains fewer than k elements, the function should return an error or a specific value indicating that k is out of bounds.
Coding interviews at Anduril 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
- How would you modify your solution to handle streaming input?
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
- How would your solution change if the input was sorted?
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Problem Analysis
To solve the problem of finding the kth largest element in a singly linked list, we can utilize a min-heap (or priority queue). The min-heap is particularly useful here because it allows us to efficie...
Approach
- Input Validation: First, we check if k is valid (i.e.,
k > 0and less than or equal to the number of elements in the list). If not, return an error message. - Initialize Min-Heap: Create...
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