Implement in-memory database insert and delete operations

Q: Implement in-memory database insert and delete operations

This is a Coding & Algorithms interview question from OpenAI for Machine Learning Engineer roles. View the full question and solution on PracHub.

Q: How do I approach Coding & Algorithms interview questions?

Coding & Algorithms questions require understanding of core concepts and practice. PracHub provides solutions with explanations to help you master coding & algorithms interviews.

Question

Design and implement a simple in-memory database (key-value store) that supports the following operations:

insert(key, value) : Insert a key-value pair into the database. If the key already exists, update its value.
get(key) : Return the value associated with the key, or indicate that the key does not exist.
delete(key) : Remove the key and its associated value from the database if it exists.

Assume:

Keys are strings.
Values are arbitrary strings (or integers; choose one and be consistent).
The database is entirely in memory; you do not need to persist data to disk.
You do not need to handle concurrency/multi-threading.

Requirements:

Design the data structures used to support these operations.
Aim for average O(1) time for insert , get , and delete .
Explain the time and space complexity of your approach.

Then, write code to implement these operations in the programming language of your choice.

Implement in-memory database insert and delete operations

Comments (0)