Approaching Problems (Clarify, Examples, Brute Force, Optimize, Test)
Approaching Problems (Clarify, Examples, Brute Force, Optimize, Test)
Process outline:
- Clarify constraints and restate the problem
- Work through small examples and edge cases
- Start with brute force to anchor complexity
- Optimize using patterns (hashing, two pointers, heap, DP)
- Test and analyze time/space
Communicate as you think; structure is as important as code.