Waymo Internship Interview Experience and Questions

Round 1

Context The session began with a discussion regarding project background, followed by a coding challenge.

Problem Statement Given a list of tasks, where each task has a specific ID

Round 1

Context The session began with a discussion regarding project background, followed by a coding challenge.

Problem Statement Given a list of tasks, where each task has a specific ID, deadline, and reward, determine the execution order that maximizes the total profit within the given time limits.

Solution Approach The problem is best solved using a greedy strategy: 1.

Sort: Arrange all tasks in descending order based on their reward value. 2.

Schedule: For each task, check for available time slots starting from the task's deadline and moving backward. 3.

Assign: If an empty slot is found, schedule the task in that slot. If no slot is available before the deadline, skip the task.

Round 2

Behavioral Assessment The first half of the interview focused on collaboration and influence within a team setting. Key scenarios discussed included: * Handling disagreements among team members. * Influencing project progress without possessing direct authority. * Strategies for unblocking a project that has stalled.

Problem Statement Write a function that accepts a data stream and an integer parameter, $n$. The output relies on the sign of $n$: * If $n > 0$:

Output the first $n$ elements of the stream. * If $n < 0$:

Output the last $|n|$ (absolute value of $n$) elements of the stream.

Solution and Optimization To handle the requirement for $n < 0$ efficiently, especially when dealing with very large data streams, memory usage must be minimized. The optimal solution involves using a circular buffer of fixed length $|n|$. This allows the system to store only the most recent chunk of data necessary for the output, discarding older elements as new ones arrive.