Breaking Problems Down

1. I have a problem!
2. You need to solve it!
3. Interviewers want to see how you think!
4. You need to be professional.
5. Step by step breakdown.
6. They want to see how you think, research, etc.
7. Be prepared to draw, whiteboard, take notes, act as if you are yourself.

Group Problem: Kitteh Facility

• Each cat costs $10/day in case (medicine, food, lodging).
• We have a new facility with 4800ft by 4800ft.
• We must install new cages. Two models available are:
  • Free-Roaming Cage: $200, 10 cats can rest here, 4ft x 4ft in size.
  • Maximus Cat Care Cage: $800, 10 cats can rest here, 16ft x 16ft in size..
• Each cage must maintain a 100ft distance between each other (city code).
• What is the most cost-effective way to house cats in our new facility?

Practice?

• TopCoder
• Algorithms