Compute Variance from a Python List
Company: PayPal
Role: Data Scientist
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: hard
Interview Round: Technical Screen
Given a Python list of numeric values, write a function to compute the variance without using external libraries such as NumPy or pandas.
Clarify any assumptions you make, such as:
- whether you are computing population variance or sample variance,
- how to handle an empty list or a list with one element,
- and the expected time and space complexity.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates understanding of basic statistical concepts and numerical computation—specifically population versus sample variance—and tests algorithmic implementation skills, edge-case handling, and complexity reasoning within the Coding & Algorithms domain.