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Jump Trading·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Jun 2026

Summary

Jump Trading coding screen for a software engineer role. One problem, file permissions, seemed straightforward at first but the edge cases are where it gets you.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given a batch of file queries where each entry contains an owner, a permission level, and a filename, identify which files are read-only. A file is read-only if none of the queries for it indicate write or any non-read permission.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

My first instinct was to just collect filenames and filter, but I kept second-guessing myself on what counts as non-read.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use a hash map to aggregate permissions per file, tracking whether any write or non-read permission appears. After processing all queries, collect files whose permissions are exclusively read. This yields O(n) time and O(m) space, where n is the number of queries and m is the number of unique files.

Pro tip: Clarify the permission model upfront—whether permissions are hierarchical (e.g., read < write < execute) or independent flags—as this affects the definition of 'non-read'. Also discuss edge cases like files with no queries or multiple owners.

1. Clarify requirements and assumptions

Ask about the permission model, possible permission values, and whether a file can have multiple owners. Confirm that 'read-only' means no write or other non-read permissions across all queries.

2. Choose data structures

Use a hash map to map each filename to a set of permissions or a boolean flag indicating if any non-read permission exists. Alternatively, use a set to track files that are not read-only.

3. Process queries

Iterate through each query. For each file, if the permission is not 'read', mark the file as not read-only in the map. If it's 'read', ensure the file is recorded as read-only unless already marked otherwise.

4. Collect results

After processing all queries, iterate through the map and collect all filenames that are still marked as read-only. Return this list.

5. Analyze complexity and edge cases

Discuss time and space complexity (O(n) time, O(m) space). Mention edge cases: files with no queries, duplicate queries, and permissions like 'execute' or 'delete'.

Key Points to Mention

  • Hash map for efficient aggregation of permissions per file
  • Time complexity O(n) and space complexity O(m) where n is number of queries and m is number of unique files
  • Handling of non-read permissions: write, execute, delete, etc.
  • Edge cases: files with no queries, multiple owners, duplicate queries
  • Clarifying the permission model (hierarchical vs. independent flags)
  • Potential follow-up: how to handle large batches or streaming data

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