Design a Tic-Tac-Toe Engine
Problem Description
Design and implement an n x n Tic-Tac-Toe game engine for two players. The engine must support a move(row, col, player) method that records a player's move at the specified (row, col) coordinates. This method should return a boolean indicating whether the recorded move results in the current player winning the game.
Implementation Versions
The problem requires discussing two distinct implementations:
-
Straightforward Implementation:
- This version should store the full game board state.
- After each
move, it must check all relevant rows, columns, and diagonals to determine if the current player has won.
-
Optimized Implementation:
- This version should avoid storing the entire game board explicitly.
- It must update the winner status in constant time (O(1)) after each
move.
Assumptions
- All provided
(row, col)moves are guaranteed to be valid (i.e., within board bounds and on an empty cell). - No moves will be made after a game has already been won by a player.
AI interview prep
Core dilemma
Balancing the simplicity and directness of full board state representation with the need for O(1) win condition checks per move, especially as the board size 'n' scales.
3 tradeoffs and 3 stress tests locked
Interview prep
Unlock the interviewer X-Ray rubric, tradeoff matrix, stress tests, clarifying questions, and key concepts.
Design a Tic-Tac-Toe Engine
Problem Description
Design and implement an n x n Tic-Tac-Toe game engine for two players. The engine must support a move(row, col, player) method that records a player's move at the specified (row, col) coordinates. This method should return a boolean indicating whether the recorded move results in the current player winning the game.
Implementation Versions
The problem requires discussing two distinct implementations:
-
Straightforward Implementation:
- This version should store the full game board state.
- After each
move, it must check all relevant rows, columns, and diagonals to determine if the current player has won.
-
Optimized Implementation:
- This version should avoid storing the entire game board explicitly.
- It must update the winner status in constant time (O(1)) after each
move.
Assumptions
- All provided
(row, col)moves are guaranteed to be valid (i.e., within board bounds and on an empty cell). - No moves will be made after a game has already been won by a player.