Start by clarifying requirements and edge cases, then outline a recursive depth-first traversal that tracks the maximum file size. Discuss trade-offs between recursion and iteration, and mention handling of symbolic links and permission errors.
Pro tip: Mention that you would use an iterative approach with an explicit stack to avoid recursion depth limits on deep directory trees, and that you would handle symbolic links carefully to prevent infinite loops.
Ask about handling of symbolic links, permission errors, empty directories, and whether to follow symlinks. Confirm expected return value if no files exist.
Decide between recursive DFS or iterative BFS/DFS. Consider using os.walk (Python) or equivalent for simplicity, but be prepared to implement manually.
Walk through all entries, check if each is a file, and update the maximum size. Handle errors gracefully (e.g., skip unreadable files).
Discuss time complexity O(n) where n is number of files/directories, and space complexity O(d) for recursion depth or explicit stack. Mention potential optimizations like early termination if a known maximum is provided.
Mention testing with empty directory, single file, nested directories, symlinks, and permission-denied scenarios to ensure robustness.
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