Detect n-length consecutive sequences
Company: Anthropic
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: Medium
Interview Round: Technical Screen
Given an unsorted collection of integers and a parameter n > 0, determine whether there exists a set of n distinct integers that form a run of consecutive values (i.e., some x, x+1, ..., x+n-
1) regardless of order. If such a run exists, return any one such run; otherwise, return empty. Follow-ups:
(a) Handle duplicates and negative numbers;
(b) Achieve near-linear time using appropriate data structures;
(c) Adapt the design to an online stream supporting insertions and deletions while answering queries about the existence of an n-length consecutive run.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates a candidate's competency in algorithm design and data-structure reasoning for detecting n-length consecutive integer sequences, encompassing handling of duplicates, negative values, and dynamic insertions and deletions.