The actual triangle generation was fine, that part I knew cold.
First, clarify the requirements and edge cases, then outline an algorithm to generate Pascal's triangle row by row. Next, compute the maximum value and its digit count to determine field width, and finally format each row with right-aligned numbers and appropriate centering. Discuss time and space complexity and potential optimizations.
Pro tip: Mention that you can avoid storing the entire triangle by computing each row from the previous one and tracking the maximum value on the fly, which reduces space complexity to O(n) for the current row plus O(1) for the max. Also, note that centering can be achieved by calculating the total width of the widest row and padding each row with spaces on both sides equally.
Ask about input constraints (e.g., maximum height), expected output format (spaces vs tabs), and handling of edge cases like height 0 or 1. Confirm that numbers should be right-aligned and rows centered.
Use an iterative approach to build each row from the previous one, starting with [1]. For each new row, compute elements as sums of adjacent elements in the previous row, with 1s at the ends.
Track the maximum value in the triangle (likely the middle element of the last row) to compute the number of digits, which sets the field width for right-alignment.
For each row, format each number to the field width, join them with spaces, then calculate the total width of the widest row (last row) and pad the current row with leading spaces to center it.
State time complexity O(n^2) due to generating all elements, and space complexity O(n) if only storing the current row. Discuss alternative approaches like using binomial coefficients or precomputing the entire triangle.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.