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Meta·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

IntermediatePrefer not to say
Jul 2026

Summary

Meta coding screen, pretty much just one algorithmic problem the whole time. Nothing flashy, but the question had more edge cases than I expected.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given an array of integers, find and print all subarrays whose elements sum to zero.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

I jumped straight to brute force, which works but felt embarrassing in hindsight.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use a hash map to store the cumulative sum and its earliest index, then iterate through the array to find subarrays with zero sum by checking if the current cumulative sum has been seen before. For each match, print all subarrays from the stored index+1 to the current index. This approach runs in O(n) time on average and handles both positive and negative numbers.

Pro tip: Clarify whether to print all subarrays or just find them, and mention that using a hash map of lists can handle duplicate sums to print all subarrays efficiently. Also, discuss edge cases like empty array and zero elements.

1. Clarify requirements and edge cases

Ask if the array can contain zeros, negatives, or duplicates, and whether to print all subarrays or just count them. Confirm output format and handling of empty array.

2. Explain the cumulative sum approach

Describe how a zero-sum subarray corresponds to two equal cumulative sums. Use a hash map to store cumulative sum and its indices.

3. Walk through the algorithm

Initialize sum=0 and map with {0: [-1]}. Iterate through array, update sum, and for each previous index in map[sum], print subarray from index+1 to current index. Then add current index to map[sum].

4. Analyze complexity and trade-offs

State time complexity O(n) on average and space O(n) for the hash map. Mention that worst-case time can be O(n^2) if many subarrays are printed, but that's inherent to output size.

5. Test with examples

Run through a small example like [1, -1, 2, -2] to show how subarrays are found. Also test edge cases like [0] and empty array.

Key Points to Mention

  • Cumulative sum technique and its relation to zero-sum subarrays
  • Hash map to store cumulative sum and list of indices for duplicates
  • Time and space complexity analysis
  • Handling of edge cases: empty array, zeros, negative numbers
  • Output format: printing all subarrays, not just count
  • Alternative approaches like brute force and why they are less efficient

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