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Meta·Machine Learning Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

SeniorPrefer not to say
Jul 2026Remote

Summary

Meta MLE interview with three back-to-back coding and design questions, all leaning heavier on algorithms than I expected for an ML role. The problems were well-scoped but the follow-ups got tricky fast.

Questions Asked (3)

Q1

Given an m x n integer matrix, check whether every top-left to bottom-right diagonal contains identical values (the Toeplitz property). Return true or false, analyze time and space complexity, and explain how you'd handle the case where rows arrive one at a time as a stream.

Algorithms & Data StructuresTechnical Trade-offs
Author's notes

The base matrix check was fine, just compare each cell to its upper-left neighbor and you're done in O(m*n) time.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by defining the Toeplitz property and giving a straightforward O(mn) time, O(1) space check by comparing each cell to its top-left neighbor. Then discuss the streaming variant, where you maintain the last row and compare each new row to the previous one, highlighting the trade-offs in memory and latency.

Pro tip: For the streaming case, emphasize that you only need to keep the previous row, not the entire matrix, and that you can process each row in O(n) time. This shows you understand memory-efficient algorithms and can handle real-world constraints like limited memory or infinite streams.

1. Clarify the problem and constraints

Restate the Toeplitz property: for all i>0 and j>0, matrix[i][j] == matrix[i-1][j-1]. Ask about matrix dimensions, data types, and whether the matrix is stored in memory or streamed.

2. Present the standard in-memory solution

Iterate through the matrix starting from row 1, column 1, and compare each element to its top-left neighbor. If any mismatch, return false; otherwise true. This is O(mn) time and O(1) extra space.

3. Analyze time and space complexity

Time: O(mn) because each cell is visited once. Space: O(1) for the in-memory version. Mention that you could also check diagonals explicitly, but the neighbor comparison is simpler and equally efficient.

4. Handle the streaming case

When rows arrive one at a time, maintain only the previous row. For each new row, compare its elements (from index 1 onward) to the previous row's elements shifted by one. If any mismatch, return false. This uses O(n) space and O(n) time per row.

5. Discuss trade-offs and edge cases

Mention edge cases: single row/column, empty matrix. For streaming, note that you cannot backtrack, so you must decide on the fly. Also discuss potential optimizations like early termination and handling large streams with limited memory.

Key Points to Mention

  • Definition of Toeplitz matrix: each descending diagonal from left to right is constant.
  • In-memory algorithm: compare each cell (i,j) with (i-1,j-1) for i>0, j>0.
  • Time complexity O(mn) and space complexity O(1) for in-memory.
  • Streaming approach: keep only the previous row, compare new row to previous row shifted by one.
  • Streaming space complexity O(n) and time O(n) per row, total O(mn) time.
  • Edge cases: 1xN or Nx1 matrices are always Toeplitz; empty matrix returns true.

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

Q2

Design a data structure that tracks the moving average of the last k values from a real-time number stream. It should support push and query operations in amortized O(1) time and O(k) space. Also address numerical precision, potential overflow, and what happens when fewer than k elements have been pushed.

Algorithms & Data StructuresSystem DesignTechnical Trade-offs
Author's notes

Circular buffer plus a running sum, pretty standard.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the problem requirements, then propose a circular buffer (ring buffer) with a running sum to achieve amortized O(1) push and query. Discuss edge cases like fewer than k elements, numerical precision, and overflow, and explain how to handle them.

Pro tip: Mention that using a running sum can accumulate floating-point error; suggest periodic recomputation or using a higher-precision accumulator (e.g., Kahan summation) to maintain accuracy.

1. Clarify requirements and constraints

Confirm that k is fixed, operations are push and query, and that amortized O(1) time and O(k) space are required. Ask about the data type (e.g., float, double) and expected stream rate.

2. Design the data structure

Use a circular buffer of size k to store the last k values, a running sum, and a count of elements pushed so far. This allows O(1) push (overwrite oldest, update sum) and O(1) query (sum / min(count, k)).

3. Address edge cases

When fewer than k elements have been pushed, return the average of all elements pushed so far (sum / count). Handle k=0 or negative k gracefully (e.g., throw exception or return 0).

4. Discuss numerical precision and overflow

Floating-point errors can accumulate in the running sum; consider periodic recomputation or Kahan summation. For integer streams, use a wider type (e.g., long long) or modular arithmetic to avoid overflow.

5. Analyze complexity and trade-offs

Confirm amortized O(1) time for push and query, and O(k) space. Discuss trade-offs: running sum is fast but less precise; recomputation is precise but O(k) per query.

Key Points to Mention

  • Circular buffer (ring buffer) implementation with head/tail pointers or index modulo k.
  • Running sum to achieve O(1) query, and updating it on each push (subtract oldest, add new).
  • Handling fewer than k elements: maintain a count and divide by min(count, k).
  • Numerical precision: floating-point error accumulation, mitigation via Kahan summation or periodic recomputation.
  • Overflow: for integer streams, use larger integer types or check for overflow; for floating-point, consider range and precision.
  • Amortized O(1) time and O(k) space complexity analysis.

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

Q3

Given an array and a window size k, return the median of each sliding window as it moves across the array. Aim for O(n log k) time or better. Walk through your data structure choices, how you handle duplicates and even-length windows, and discuss any memory trade-offs.

Algorithms & Data StructuresTechnical Trade-offs
Author's notes

Two heaps, max-heap for the lower half and min-heap for the upper half, rebalancing on each slide.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the problem constraints (e.g., array size, k, data types) and then propose a solution using two heaps (max-heap for lower half, min-heap for upper half) to maintain the median in O(log k) per insertion/deletion, achieving O(n log k) overall. Discuss how to handle duplicates (heaps naturally handle them) and even-length windows (median is average of max of lower heap and min of upper heap). Also mention memory trade-offs: O(k) extra space for heaps, which is optimal.

Pro tip: Mention that you can optimize further using a balanced BST or order-statistic tree for O(n log k) but with higher constant factors; however, the two-heap approach is simpler and often faster in practice. Also, note that for very large n, you might consider a streaming approach with approximate medians if exactness is not critical.

1. Clarify requirements and constraints

Ask about input size, k relative to n, data types, whether the array is static or streaming, and if exact median is required. Confirm output format (list of medians).

2. Choose data structures

Propose two heaps: a max-heap for the lower half and a min-heap for the upper half. Explain how to maintain balance (size difference ≤1) and how to compute median for odd/even windows.

3. Handle sliding window operations

Describe how to add a new element and remove the oldest element. For removal, use lazy deletion (mark elements as invalid) or maintain a hash map of counts to avoid O(k) removal. Discuss rebalancing after each operation.

4. Analyze complexity and trade-offs

State time complexity: O(n log k) due to heap operations. Space complexity: O(k) for heaps and optional hash map. Compare with alternatives like sorting each window (O(n k log k)) or using a balanced BST (O(n log k) but higher overhead).

5. Address edge cases and duplicates

Explain how duplicates are handled naturally by heaps. For even-length windows, median is average of two middle values. Discuss edge cases: k=1, k=n, empty array, and negative numbers.

Key Points to Mention

  • Two-heap approach: max-heap for lower half, min-heap for upper half, with balancing to maintain median.
  • Lazy deletion or hash map to handle removal of elements leaving the window efficiently.
  • Time complexity O(n log k) and space complexity O(k), which is optimal for this problem.
  • Handling even-length windows: median is the average of the two middle elements.
  • Duplicates are handled naturally by heaps; no special treatment needed.
  • Trade-offs: two heaps vs. balanced BST vs. sorting each window; two heaps offer simplicity and good performance.

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