Graviton

Role: Software/Quant

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: July 2022

Interview Type: On-Campus

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Hard

Rounds: 5 rounds

Topics Asked: Linearity of Expectation, OS Memory Management (Paging, Fragmentation), Data Structures & Algorithms (Linked List, Dynamic Programming), Quant/Algorithms

Experience:

The candidate was shortlisted for both Software and Quant profiles. The interview process consisted of 5 rounds.

Round 1 (Quant): Asked a question about the linearity of expectation based on a random number generator. The candidate struggled to find a solution.

Round 2 (OS): Focused on OS memory management, specifically Paging. Discussions included memory management in one-level paging, calculating memory size in two-level paging, apt page size, and fragmentations. The candidate was able to answer most questions.

Round 3 (DSA): Assessed DSA skills. A question based on linked lists was asked. The candidate initially struggled but later came up with a solution, though struggled to explain it properly. Was asked to code the solution which was correct.

Round 4 (DP): A standard Dynamic Programming question was asked (similar to ones found on InterviewBit). The candidate quickly found a solution and coded it.

Round 5 (Quant/Algorithms): Described as the "best interview". It was a quant interview with a problem that was a mixture of quant and algorithms. The candidate first explained a naive O(N²) solution and then, with hints, worked towards an optimized solution using divide and conquer, eventually reaching the final answer.

The overall experience was described as amazing, with the conversation often feeling like a discussion with a friend. The candidate believes the main reason for not getting an offer was giving negative signals about joining due to campus placement policies.