Find shortest distance in linked list
Last updated: January 21, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a interval list, find the kth largest element efficiently using Two Pointers.
ServiceNow
January 21, 20262
4
4,432 solved
Given a interval list, find the kth largest element efficiently using Two Pointers.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Technical Screen at ServiceNow. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. ServiceNow expects candidates to write production-quality code, not just solve the puzzle.
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 test this solution thoroughly?
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
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Problem Analysis
To find the kth largest element in an interval list, we can leverage the concept of sorting and indexing. The primary pattern we will use here is sorting followed by direct indexing. We will sort the ...
Approach
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Input Validation: First, check if the input list is empty or if k is out of bounds. If either condition is true, we can return an appropriate result (e.g., None or an error message).
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**Sort...
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