Merge K Sorted interval lists
Last updated: February 25, 2026
Quick Overview
Given two sorted graphs, merge them into a single sorted result.
JPMorgan
Coding & Algorithms
Software Engineer
JPMorgan
February 25, 2026Software Engineer
Onsite
Coding & Algorithms
Hard
9
6
2,596 solved
Given two sorted graphs, merge them into a single sorted result.
JPMorgan uses this problem in the Onsite 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
- Quickly identify the optimal approach and its theoretical basis
- Handle complex algorithm design with multiple interacting components
- Write concise, elegant code under time pressure
- Prove correctness of your approach and discuss alternative solutions
- Optimize beyond the obvious: discuss constant factor improvements
- Address follow-up variations and explain how the solution generalizes
Key Topics to Cover
Data structure selection and trade-offs
Edge cases and input validation
Sorting and searching
Time and space complexity analysis
Common algorithm patterns (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS)
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
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To solve the problem of merging K sorted interval lists, we can recognize that this is a variation of the classic 'merge k sorted lists' problem. A priority queue (or min-heap) is particularly suitabl...
Approach
- Initialize a min-heap to store the current intervals from each of the K lists. Each entry in the heap will consist of the start and end of an interval along with the index of the list it belong...
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