Solve Tree View and Triplet Sum
Company: Meta
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: easy
Interview Round: Technical Screen
Quick Answer: This multipart question evaluates proficiency with tree-based data structures and array-based algorithmic problem solving, focusing on reasoning about which nodes are visible from a binary tree's right side and identifying unique zero-sum triplets in an integer array; it tests concepts such as tree traversal, duplicate handling, and algorithmic complexity analysis. These problems are commonly asked to assess algorithmic problem-solving ability, manipulation of fundamental data structures, and attention to edge cases and performance, and they fall under the Coding & Algorithms category with a focus on practical application of algorithmic concepts supported by conceptual understanding of data structures and complexity.
Part 1: Right Side View of a Binary Tree
Constraints
- The number of nodes is in the range [0, 10^4].
- Node values are integers.
- The input list is a valid level-order serialization of a binary tree.
- `None` indicates that a child is missing.
Examples
Input: [1, 2, 3, None, 5, None, 4]
Expected Output: [1, 3, 4]
Explanation: From the right, you see 1 at level 0, 3 at level 1, and 4 at level 2.
Input: [1, 2, 3, 4, None, None, None]
Expected Output: [1, 3, 4]
Explanation: Although 4 is on the left subtree, it is still the only visible node at its depth from the right.
Input: []
Expected Output: []
Explanation: An empty tree has no visible nodes.
Input: [7]
Expected Output: [7]
Explanation: A single-node tree is visible from every side.
Hints
- A level-order traversal lets you process one depth level at a time.
- At each level, the last node you visit is the one visible from the right.
Part 2: Find Unique Triplets With Zero Sum
Constraints
- 3 <= nums.length <= 3000
- -10^5 <= nums[i] <= 10^5
- The solution set must not contain duplicate triplets.
Examples
Input: [-1, 0, 1, 2, -1, -4]
Expected Output: [[-1, -1, 2], [-1, 0, 1]]
Explanation: These are the only two unique triplets whose sum is zero.
Input: [0, 0, 0, 0]
Expected Output: [[0, 0, 0]]
Explanation: Even though there are many ways to pick three zeros, the triplet should appear only once.
Input: [1, 2, -2, -1]
Expected Output: []
Explanation: No three numbers add up to zero.
Input: [-2, 0, 1, 1, 2]
Expected Output: [[-2, 0, 2], [-2, 1, 1]]
Explanation: There are exactly two unique zero-sum triplets.
Hints
- Sorting the array turns the problem into finding pairs with a target for each fixed first number.
- After finding a valid triplet, move both pointers and skip repeated values to avoid duplicates.