rotation on Binary Tree
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a binary tree, perform a rotation operation on the tree at a specified node and return the new root of the tree. The rotation can be either a left or right rotation, depending on the input provided. Ensure that the structure of the tree is maintained after the rotation.
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Given a binary tree, perform a rotation operation on the tree at a specified node and return the new root of the tree. The rotation can be either a left or right rotation, depending on the input provided. Ensure that the structure of the tree is maintained after the rotation.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Phone Screen at Pinterest. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. Pinterest expects candidates to write production-quality code, not just solve the puzzle.
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
- How would your solution change if the input was sorted?
- How would you parallelize this solution?
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
The problem requires us to perform a rotation on a binary tree at a specified node. The two primary types of rotations we can perform are left and right rotations. A left rotation at a node involves m...
Approach
- Identify the node: Start by identifying the node at which the rotation is to be performed. This can be done through a recursive traversal to find the node.
- Perform the rotation: Depend...
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