Solve palindrome and missing-number variants
Problem Description
You are tasked with solving two distinct coding problems and analyzing the time and space complexity for each solution.
Problem 1: Palindrome Check
Given a string s, determine whether it reads the same forwards and backwards. You should treat an empty string as a valid palindrome. If the input string s is null, return false.
Problem 2: Missing Number with Arbitrary Start
Given a sorted array nums of distinct integers, where the values are expected to form a consecutive sequence with a step size of 1, exactly one number is missing from this sequence. The sequence does not necessarily start at 0.
Examples:
[4, 5, 6, 8, 9]->7[10, 11, 13]->12
First, describe and implement an O(n) solution for this problem. Subsequently, improve upon this by describing and implementing an O(log n) solution using binary search.
For both problems, be prepared to explain your time and space complexity analysis and discuss how your solutions handle various edge cases.
AI interview prep
Core dilemma
Balancing algorithmic efficiency (especially achieving O(log n) for missing number) with robust edge case handling and clear, correct implementation for fundamental data structures.
3 tradeoffs and 3 stress tests locked
Interview prep
Unlock the interviewer X-Ray rubric, tradeoff matrix, stress tests, clarifying questions, and key concepts.
Solve palindrome and missing-number variants
Problem Description
You are tasked with solving two distinct coding problems and analyzing the time and space complexity for each solution.
Problem 1: Palindrome Check
Given a string s, determine whether it reads the same forwards and backwards. You should treat an empty string as a valid palindrome. If the input string s is null, return false.
Problem 2: Missing Number with Arbitrary Start
Given a sorted array nums of distinct integers, where the values are expected to form a consecutive sequence with a step size of 1, exactly one number is missing from this sequence. The sequence does not necessarily start at 0.
Examples:
[4, 5, 6, 8, 9]->7[10, 11, 13]->12
First, describe and implement an O(n) solution for this problem. Subsequently, improve upon this by describing and implementing an O(log n) solution using binary search.
For both problems, be prepared to explain your time and space complexity analysis and discuss how your solutions handle various edge cases.