> Big O notation is [...] about how long an algorithm takes to run.
My former prof would have me spanked for an imprecise statement like this.
Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
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Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#72> not-boring math What's next? Gradient decent with no gradients? Fourrier transform with no functions? If math is do boring just skip the whole thing, don't try to kid yourself by saying you're not doing it when you are in fact doing it. /rant
What's with this gatekeeping attitude? Big-O notation is a useful tool in a programmer's belt, knowing the math behind it in details is less useful. What's the problem? It's the same thing as not needing to know how an engine works to be able to use a car
That analogy does not really work. To use a modern car for transport, its power source can usually be treated as a black box, but if you don't know the math of Big-O, you don't understand it, and if you don't understand it, you may be unable to apply it in a situation where you have not rote-learned the answer, or, worse, misapply it without noticing. I have seen enough of this to know that it is a real problem.
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish the usage of FAANG would die. Firstly it exlcudes obvious others like Uber, Microsoft, etc. Secondly, and purely aesthetically, it sounds silly. I hereby propose we call such companies the Big N, and I'm definitely open to other ideas.
More generally, why do we have such a fetish for acronyms in general? Is it some kind of insider feeling to know a "code" for a thing?
Brevity.
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#74> As n gets really big, adding 100 or dividing by 2 has a decreasingly significant effect.
I was annoyed to see that comment about division, as of course dividing n by 2 has exactly the same effect regardless of the size of n. This is not the reason we ignore multiplicative constants in complexity analysis.
It reminded me of the joke that Earth's circumference is pretty much the same as its diameter, since the the size of pi is negligible at that scale.
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#75I've noticed there are SO many of these "coding interview prep" courses lately. Like, obviously it's a hot job market, but there's just so many and of a certain vibe that it seems like some are selling a dream. There's a common narrative too, that it's all about algorithm question prep and it's a "game" you can win. One youtuber who recently landed a ~$275K TC gig said it's not about being "intelligent" it's about pr…
It depends on the company, but most of the FAANG company (and others that try to imitate them) interviews come down to how quickly you can get the optimal solution on the board. It has very little to do with how well you can code day to day. Most interviews have 4 sessions broken up in the following manner: 1 hour: coding 1 hour: coding 1 hour: lunch 1 hour: system design 1 hour: cross-functional In my experience tho…
> most of those interviews just test your knowledge of how quickly you can figure out the right data structure and algo for the question at hand
Not sure that's true. Just a few days ago someone was commenting here how they were a frontend developer with a few years of experience, yet they didn't know what a for loop was. These interviews aren't about how quickly you can figure out the right data structure, they're about separating developers from "developers".
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
It depends on the company, but most of the FAANG company (and others that try to imitate them) interviews come down to how quickly you can get the optimal solution on the board. It has very little to do with how well you can code day to day. Most interviews have 4 sessions broken up in the following manner: 1 hour: coding 1 hour: coding 1 hour: lunch 1 hour: system design 1 hour: cross-functional In my experience tho…
> most of those interviews just test your knowledge of how quickly you can figure out the right data structure and algo for the question at hand Not sure that's true. Just a few days ago someone was commenting here how they were a frontend developer with a few years of experience, yet they didn't know what a for loop was. These interviews aren't about how quickly you can figure out the right data structure, they're a…
A simple fizz buzz will solve for that. No need to put in algorithm questions.
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#77> As n gets really big, adding 100 or dividing by 2 has a decreasingly significant effect. I was annoyed to see that comment about division, as of course dividing n by 2 has exactly the same effect regardless of the size of n. This is not the reason we ignore multiplicative constants in complexity analysis. It reminded me of the joke that Earth's circumference is pretty much the same as its diameter, since the the si…
> This is not the reason we ignore multiplicative constants in complexity analysis.
What is the reason?
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The other funny thing is that your previous experience doesn't do anything for you other than maybe getting to skip the technical phone screen. Everyone goes through the same process You could also argue that this is fair chance between those who just came to the field. > On the bright side, it does look like many companies are now realizing this isn't a great way to evaluate someone's ability and are beginning to…
This is the first time I've heard this characterization of Interview Cake as making the Google-style whiteboard coding interview accessible to small(er) companies. It /might/ be /somewhat/ true. But I'm skeptical. Anecdotally, when I started Interview Cake 6 years ago it was already true that most small companies my friends and I interviewed with were using these sorts of data structures and algorithms questions. The…
I live in a hi-tech city outside SF/NYC and I can confirm that many companies in my area filter candidates using questions straight from leetcode.
This was not the case 5-6 years ago.
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I’m just concerned that taken to the extreme it mistakes excessive pattern recognition prep for true comprehension and aptitude. Especially if it’s “whoever puts the optimal solution on the board fastest wins.” I agree with you on this. They do have taken this to the extreme because the questions are getting harder and harder. This is hard tbh because if you're an employer whom used to be able to filter candidates…
Improvement doesn't mean making it harder. SAT questions don't get harder every year (ideally). They're just different. It takes effort to come up with something different and novel though. Most places don't. Maybe that's what the industry needs.. its own SAT. Heck man, that would make interviewing a lot better. You take one brutal test over a few hours, get your score, and then apply to multiple companies. You don't…
I would argue that we are going toward that direction with slightly different variation/format.
Faang and multiple SV companies will ask 3-5 LeetCodes with 1-2 System Design. Some started to incorporate behavior question (like Amazon with 14 LPs)
Re: Big O Notation – Using not-boring math to measure code’s efficiency
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
It depends on the company, but most of the FAANG company (and others that try to imitate them) interviews come down to how quickly you can get the optimal solution on the board. It has very little to do with how well you can code day to day. Most interviews have 4 sessions broken up in the following manner: 1 hour: coding 1 hour: coding 1 hour: lunch 1 hour: system design 1 hour: cross-functional In my experience tho…
I wish the usage of FAANG would die. Firstly it exlcudes obvious others like Uber, Microsoft, etc. Secondly, and purely aesthetically, it sounds silly. I hereby propose we call such companies the Big N, and I'm definitely open to other ideas.
I’m not a fan of the acronym either, but it’s what people know, so I use it. Big N is much better, I’m onboard.