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They asked me to design a memory-efficient algorithm to detect if a linked list contains a cycle, then optimize it for both time and space complexity. After solving it, they wanted me to explain how I'd test it and handle edge cases like empty lists or single-node lists. The interviewer really focused on my thought process and communication style throughout.
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Glassdoor · 1 record
Apple
They asked me to design a memory-efficient algorithm to detect if a linked list contains a cycle, then optimize it for both time and space complexity. After solving it, they wanted me to explain how I'd test it and handle edge cases like empty lists or single-node lists. The interviewer really focused on my thought process and communication style throughout.
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Software Developer
Source snapshot: Nov 12, 2026
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