Merge Two Sorted strings
Last updated: July 5, 2025
Quick Overview
Given k sorted graphs, merge them into a single sorted result.
Splunk
July 5, 202547
6
2,937 solved
Given k sorted graphs, merge them into a single sorted result.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Technical Screen at Splunk. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. Splunk expects candidates to write production-quality code, not just solve the puzzle.
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
- What is the worst-case input for your solution?
- How would your solution change if the input was sorted?
- How would you parallelize this solution?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
The problem requires us to merge k sorted arrays (or graphs), which can be effectively approached using a min-heap (or priority queue). This data structure allows us to efficiently retrieve the sm...
Approach
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Initialize a min-heap: Start by adding the first element of each of the k arrays into the min-heap, along with the index of the array and the index of the element within that array.
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**Po...
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