← Microsoft Interview Insights
I went with BFS first since it felt safer to explain.
Use BFS level-order traversal, recording the last node of each level. Alternatively, use DFS with depth tracking, updating the result when visiting a node at a new depth. Explain the chosen approach and its complexity.
Pro tip: Mention that BFS is more intuitive for level-based problems, but DFS can be more space-efficient for skewed trees. Also, clarify that the right view includes the rightmost node at each depth, even if it's not the right child.
Confirm that the right view consists of the rightmost node at each depth, and that the tree may be unbalanced. Ask if the tree can be empty or have only one node.
Decide between BFS (level-order traversal) and DFS (pre-order with depth tracking). Explain why one might be preferred over the other.
For BFS: use a queue, process each level, and add the last node's value to the result. For DFS: traverse right-first, track depth, and add the first node encountered at each depth.
State that both approaches have O(n) time complexity. Space complexity is O(w) for BFS (w = max width) and O(h) for DFS (h = height).
Consider empty tree (return empty list), single node, and skewed trees. Ensure the solution works for these cases.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.