Implement Priority Queue with with follow-up
Last updated: February 15, 2026
Quick Overview
Implement a priority queue data structure that supports insertion and extraction of the highest priority element in O(log n) time. The priority queue should allow for elements to be added with an associated priority and should return the element with the highest priority when extracted. Ensure that the implementation handles edge cases, such as extracting from an empty queue.
Optiver
February 15, 2026124
13
2,857 solved
Implement a priority queue data structure that supports insertion and extraction of the highest priority element in O(log n) time. The priority queue should allow for elements to be added with an associated priority and should return the element with the highest priority when extracted. Ensure that the implementation handles edge cases, such as extracting from an empty queue.
Optiver uses this problem in the Phone Screen 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
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
- Can you optimize the space complexity of your solution?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- How would your solution change if the input was sorted?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To implement a priority queue that supports insertion and extraction of the highest priority element in O(log n) time, we can utilize a binary heap data structure, specifically a max-heap. A m...
Approach
- Data Structure: We will use a binary heap (max-heap) to store our elements. Each element will be a tuple consisting of (priority, value).
- Insertion: When inserting an element, we will a...
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