Use a self-join or window functions to identify sequences of page visits per user per day, then filter for users who have at least two A→B sequences and no C visits on the same day. Ensure the A visit timestamp is strictly before the B visit timestamp and both occur on the same calendar date.
Pro tip: Clarify assumptions about timestamp granularity and timezone handling upfront, and mention that using window functions like LAG/LEAD can efficiently detect sequences without expensive self-joins.
Identify the table schema (user_id, page, timestamp) and clarify that 'same calendar day' means the date part of the timestamp. Confirm that sequences must be strictly ordered (A before B) and that C must not appear at all that day.
Use a window function to order events by timestamp within each user and calendar day, or filter the table to only include relevant pages (A, B, C) to reduce data volume.
For each user and day, find pairs of consecutive events where page A is immediately followed by page B. Count the number of such sequences per user per day.
Identify user-days that contain any visit to page C and remove them from the result set, ensuring the condition 'never visited page C that day' is met.
Keep only user-days where the count of A→B sequences is greater than 1, then select distinct users who satisfy all conditions.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.