Merge Two Sorted interval lists
Last updated: September 22, 2025
Quick Overview
Given k sorted matrixs, merge them into a single sorted result.
Meta
September 22, 20250
12
1,465 solved
Given k sorted matrixs, merge them into a single sorted result.
Meta uses this problem in the Take-home Project 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
- 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
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- Can you solve this in a single pass?
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Problem Analysis
This problem is a classic case of merging sorted lists, which can be efficiently tackled using a min-heap (priority queue). The idea is to utilize the properties of the heap to always extract the ...
Approach
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Initialize a min-heap: Start by creating a min-heap that will hold the smallest elements from each of the k sorted lists, along with their respective list indices.
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Populate the heap: In...
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