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Design lexicographic range query word store

Last updated: Mar 29, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates competency in designing persistent string storage and lexicographic indexing, covering data structures, indexing strategies, and query execution within the System Design category and requiring practical application of storage layout and access patterns alongside conceptual understanding of ordering and range semantics.

  • hard
  • Google
  • System Design
  • Software Engineer

Design lexicographic range query word store

Company: Google

Role: Software Engineer

Category: System Design

Difficulty: hard

Interview Round: Onsite

Design a storage/data structure for a set of strings that supports lexicographic range queries. You are given a collection of words (strings), stored persistently. For a query range `[L, R]` (inclusive), return **all words `w` such that `L <= w <= R` in lexicographic (dictionary) order**. Example dataset: `{ "aa", "aaa", "ac", "f", "z" }` Expected behavior: - Query `["a", "b"]` → `{ "aa", "aaa", "ac" }` - Query `["a", "aa"]` → `{ "aa" }` - Query `["b", "z"]` → `{ "f", "z" }` - Query `["ab", "b"]` → `{ "ac" }` Describe the data layout and indexing strategy, and explain how queries are executed efficiently. (Optionally discuss support for inserts/deletes and large-scale storage.)

Quick Answer: This question evaluates competency in designing persistent string storage and lexicographic indexing, covering data structures, indexing strategies, and query execution within the System Design category and requiring practical application of storage layout and access patterns alongside conceptual understanding of ordering and range semantics.

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Google
Oct 5, 2025, 12:00 AM
Software Engineer
Onsite
System Design
6
0

Design a storage/data structure for a set of strings that supports lexicographic range queries.

You are given a collection of words (strings), stored persistently. For a query range [L, R] (inclusive), return all words w such that L <= w <= R in lexicographic (dictionary) order.

Example dataset: { "aa", "aaa", "ac", "f", "z" }

Expected behavior:

  • Query ["a", "b"] → { "aa", "aaa", "ac" }
  • Query ["a", "aa"] → { "aa" }
  • Query ["b", "z"] → { "f", "z" }
  • Query ["ab", "b"] → { "ac" }

Describe the data layout and indexing strategy, and explain how queries are executed efficiently. (Optionally discuss support for inserts/deletes and large-scale storage.)

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