Validate grid sorted
Last updated: April 7, 2026
Quick Overview
Given a 2D grid of integers, write a function to determine if each row and each column of the grid is sorted in non-decreasing order. The function should return true if the grid is sorted according to these criteria, and false otherwise.
HRT
April 7, 202614
3
429 solved
Given a 2D grid of integers, write a function to determine if each row and each column of the grid is sorted in non-decreasing order. The function should return true if the grid is sorted according to these criteria, and false otherwise.
This coding problem is frequently asked during Take-home Project at HRT. The interviewer is testing your ability to translate a problem into clean, working code while discussing time and space complexity. HRT 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
- Can you solve this in a single pass?
- Can you optimize the space complexity of your solution?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
Sharpen Your Skills on Codemia
Practice similar problems with our interactive workspace, get AI feedback, and track your progress.
Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To determine if a 2D grid of integers is sorted in non-decreasing order for each row and each column, we can leverage a straightforward checking mechanism. The two key patterns here are:
- **Row-wis...
Approach
The algorithm can be broken down into the following steps:
- Iterate through the rows: For each row, check if the elements are sorted in non-decreasing order. This means checking if `grid[i][j] <...
Submit Your Answer
