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Bytedance·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Apr 2026

Summary

Bytedance SWE coding round with two back-to-back algorithm problems. The twist was having to write your own test cases and construct the tree yourself, which added some pressure on top of already standard-ish questions.

Questions Asked (2)

Q1

Given an array of strings, group all strings that are anagrams of each other and return the groups as a list of lists.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

Classic problem but I still fumbled the explanation a bit.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use a hash map to group strings by a canonical key that is identical for all anagrams, such as the sorted string or a character count signature. Iterate through the input array, compute the key for each string, and append the string to the corresponding group. Finally, return the values of the hash map as a list of lists.

Pro tip: Discuss the trade-offs between sorting each string (O(k log k) per string) and using a character count array (O(k) per string) as the key, and mention that the character count approach can be more efficient for long strings or large alphabets.

1. Clarify and Confirm

Ask clarifying questions about input constraints, such as string length, character set, and whether the output order matters. Confirm that anagrams are case-sensitive and that empty strings are considered anagrams of each other.

2. Choose a Canonical Key

Decide on a method to generate a unique key for each anagram group. Common approaches are sorting the string or using a character frequency count. Explain why the key must be identical for all anagrams.

3. Design the Algorithm

Outline the steps: initialize a hash map, iterate over each string, compute its key, and add the string to the list associated with that key. Mention that the map's values will be the final groups.

4. Analyze Complexity

State the time and space complexity. For sorting approach: O(n * k log k) time, O(n * k) space. For counting approach: O(n * k) time, O(n * k) space. Discuss trade-offs.

5. Handle Edge Cases and Test

Consider edge cases like empty input, single string, strings with repeated characters, and Unicode characters. Walk through a small example to verify correctness.

Key Points to Mention

  • Hash map (dictionary) for grouping by canonical key
  • Sorting each string as key: O(k log k) per string
  • Character count array as key: O(k) per string, but requires fixed alphabet
  • Time and space complexity analysis
  • Edge cases: empty strings, single string, all anagrams, no anagrams
  • Potential follow-up: how to handle streaming input or very large datasets

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.

Q2

Given a binary tree, return the values visible from the right side, ordered top to bottom. You also need to construct the tree and write your own test cases.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

The problem itself is fine, BFS and grab the last node per level, or DFS going right child first while tracking depth.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use BFS level-order traversal, recording the last node at each level to get the right-side view. Clearly define the TreeNode structure, implement the solution, and write test cases covering edge cases like empty tree, single node, skewed tree, and balanced tree.

Pro tip: Mention that DFS with depth tracking can also solve this in O(n) time and O(h) space, showing you understand trade-offs. Also, proactively discuss how you'd test the solution, including edge cases, to demonstrate thoroughness.

1. Clarify and Define

Confirm the problem: return values visible from the right side, top to bottom. Define the TreeNode class with val, left, right.

2. Choose Approach

Decide between BFS (level-order) and DFS (pre-order with depth). Explain why BFS is straightforward: process each level, take the last node.

3. Implement Solution

Write code for BFS using a queue. For each level, iterate through all nodes, and after the loop, add the last node's value to the result.

4. Construct Test Cases

Create test cases: empty tree, single node, left-skewed, right-skewed, balanced tree, and a tree where right side is not just the rightmost path.

5. Analyze Complexity

State time complexity O(n) and space complexity O(w) where w is max width for BFS, or O(h) for DFS.

Key Points to Mention

  • BFS level-order traversal using a queue
  • Recording the last node at each level
  • DFS alternative with depth tracking (pre-order, right-first)
  • Time complexity O(n), space complexity O(w) for BFS or O(h) for DFS
  • Edge cases: empty tree, single node, skewed trees
  • Test case construction and validation

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.