Meta | E4 | Phone Screen | Rejected

Meta | E4 | Phone Screen | Rejected

Questions

1. Find the number of unique elements in a sorted array.
2. Assuming an optimized solution to the first question with O(n) time and O(1) space complexity. Can this O(n) time complexity be further improved given that k (the number of unique elements) is much smaller than n (the size of the array)?

I correctly answered the first question. The interviewer pointed out that my initial solution used O(n) space, and it needed to be O(1) space. I quickly adapted my solution to meet this requirement.

For the second question, I required several hints from the interviewer. I eventually recognized that a binary search approach was appropriate. I implemented a solution but ran out of time to fully verify its correctness. While my approach seemed correct, my code likely contained errors.

I received notification that my candidacy would not be moving forward. I inquired about the possibility of reapplying after a cooling-off period. I am uncertain if this was an appropriate course of action.