Increment a Digit-Array Integer by One
Last updated: June 30, 2026
Quick Overview
The question asks the candidate to write a function that increments a given integer represented as an array of its digits by one.
Intuit
June 30, 20261
0
14 solved
The question asks the candidate to write a function that increments a given integer represented as an array of its digits by one.
This question is commonly asked during technical screens to evaluate a candidate's problem-solving skills and coding proficiency. The interviewer is looking for the candidate's ability to handle edge cases, such as carrying over digits, and to implement a clean and efficient solution. It also tests the candidate's understanding of array manipulation and basic algorithmic principles.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Correctly handles edge cases like carrying over from 9 to 0.
- Implements a clear and efficient algorithm.
- Provides a well-structured code solution with comments.
- Discusses time and space complexity.
- Demonstrates good coding practices and readability.
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 handle very large integers that exceed typical data types?
- Can you optimize your solution further?
- What would you change if the integer could be decremented instead?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Approach
To increment the integer represented as an array, we will start from the least significant digit (the last element of the array) and move towards the most significant digit (the first element). If the...
Algorithm
- Start from the last index of the array.
- Increment the digit at the current index.
- If the digit becomes 10, set it to 0 and move to the previous index to carry over the increment.
- If we rea...