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Maximize correct guesses in a hat line puzzle

Last updated: Mar 29, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates logical reasoning about information constraints, group strategy design, and combinatorial encoding in the Coding & Algorithms domain, with a level of abstraction that emphasizes conceptual understanding alongside practical algorithmic reasoning.

  • nan
  • Snapchat
  • Coding & Algorithms
  • Software Engineer

Maximize correct guesses in a hat line puzzle

Company: Snapchat

Role: Software Engineer

Category: Coding & Algorithms

Difficulty: nan

Interview Round: Onsite

## Problem (Hat Guessing Strategy) There are **N people** standing in a line. Each person wears a hat that is either **Red** or **Blue**. - Person `i` can **see the hats** of people in front of them (people with index `> i`). - They **cannot see** their own hat or the hats behind them. - Starting from the back of the line (person `1`) to the front (person `N`), each person must **say out loud** either `Red` or `Blue` as their guess of their own hat color. - Everyone hears all previous guesses. - Before the guessing starts, the group can agree on a deterministic strategy. ### Task 1. Describe a strategy that **guarantees the maximum possible number of correct guesses in the worst case**, regardless of the actual hat arrangement. 2. State how many people can be guaranteed to guess correctly. ### Notes - You may assume `N >= 1`. - The hat colors are arbitrary (not necessarily random).

Quick Answer: This question evaluates logical reasoning about information constraints, group strategy design, and combinatorial encoding in the Coding & Algorithms domain, with a level of abstraction that emphasizes conceptual understanding alongside practical algorithmic reasoning.

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Snapchat
Feb 12, 2026, 12:00 AM
Software Engineer
Onsite
Coding & Algorithms
3
0
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Problem (Hat Guessing Strategy)

There are N people standing in a line. Each person wears a hat that is either Red or Blue.

  • Person i can see the hats of people in front of them (people with index > i ).
  • They cannot see their own hat or the hats behind them.
  • Starting from the back of the line (person 1 ) to the front (person N ), each person must say out loud either Red or Blue as their guess of their own hat color.
  • Everyone hears all previous guesses.
  • Before the guessing starts, the group can agree on a deterministic strategy.

Task

  1. Describe a strategy that guarantees the maximum possible number of correct guesses in the worst case , regardless of the actual hat arrangement.
  2. State how many people can be guaranteed to guess correctly.

Notes

  • You may assume N >= 1 .
  • The hat colors are arbitrary (not necessarily random).

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