Amazon Interview Question for Software Engineer / Developers


Country: India
Interview Type: Phone Interview




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5
of 7 vote

Here is the algorithm divide(A,B)
1. if A>B , Just add A/B to the soFar String and call the divide(A%B,B)
2. if A<B A = A*10 and add "." to the soFar String if it does NOT already have it. Now if A is still less than B keep multiplying A by 10 while(A<B) for each multiplication now we need to append a "0" to soFar String
3. In step 2 we will add A in Hashtable and store the length of soFar, This is to make sure when we see this again in future we will stop the execution and return the Result.

I know Hard to explain in words so below is the Working/Tested Code

public static String divideIterative(int A, int B) {
		StringBuffer soFar = new StringBuffer("");
		HashMap<Integer, Integer> map = new HashMap<Integer, Integer>();
		if (A == 0)
			return soFar.toString();
		while (A != 0) {
			if (A >= B) {
				soFar.append(A / B);
				A = A % B;
			} else {
				if (soFar.indexOf(".") == -1) {
					if (soFar.length() > 0)
						soFar.append(".");
					else
						soFar.append("0.");
				}

				if (map.containsKey(A)) {
					int index = (Integer) map.get(A);
					return soFar.substring(0, index) + "("
							+ soFar.substring(index) + ")";
				} else {
					map.put(A, soFar.length());
				}

				A = A * 10;
				while (A < B) {
					A = A * 10;
					soFar.append("0");
				}
			}

		}
		return soFar.toString();
	}

- loveCoding August 08, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 votes

I think you mean to say keep track of remainder and when it repeat. that the point the decimal also begin to repeat.

I gave the same solution.

- Sanjay Kumar August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

You got it right Sanjay

- loveCoding August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

Being a Tester, I tried hard finding error in this solution and I consider it my failure to find any problem in this.

- PAPA August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

I agree this is most complete solution

- Ben August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

-1: I haven't tested your code for correctness (and it might well be correct), but there's some bad stuff going on in here. There are some major performance killers:

- Use of operations like soFar += "0". This is terrible practice because it recopies the entire string every time you do that. See kaioa DOT com/node/59 for one explanation

- Unnecessary use of recursion for something that easily could have been done with iteration. This is particularly bad given that the maximum height of the recursive call stack is order O(B).

- More complex code logic and more checks than necessary. For example the decimal point could have been added once prior to entering the recursion so that all the associated checks aren't done every time you call divide().

Because of how you manage your strings, your algo will be at worst O(B^2) instead of being O(B).

- eugene.yarovoi August 10, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 4 vote

ideone.com/btABe

- cobra August 08, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 votes

your solution will give wrong output for example 2.

what if its not getting repeated from 1st digit after the decimal

- Sanjay Kumar August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

Thank you for the finding the mistake.. now changed the code. check the same link

- cobra August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

I am not sure about that. can you please explain the logic in words.

Also can it handle 22/700 or 22/70000

For 22/700 Ans should be 0.03(142857)

- Sanjay Kumar August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

again modified the code.. check the link again..
thank you for giving the counter test case :)

- cobra August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

Try This:
•1/97 = 0.01030927 83505154 63917525 77319587 62886597 93814432 98969072 16494845 36082474 22680412 37113402 06185567 ; 96 repeating digits

Actually I mean to say that approach is not correct. you can't find in this way. I thought a lot on this approach. I could not able to find out any crack in this way.
In this case 0 and many degits are repeated few times.

- Sanjay Kumar August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

Only one way I can think of.
first go on deviding the number by number by denominator * 2 and then check for pattern.

- Sanjay Kumar August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

@Sanjay:
if you seen the decimal value should not repeat, then 225/1000 give only 0.(2)

the task is the decimal PATTERN should not be repeated.. not decimal VALUE..

you are seeing for the first decimal quotient not to repeat..
but i seen first remainder not to repeat..

because 10/7 and 11/7 both give quotient 1..

my answer for 1/97 is

0.01(030927835051546391752577319587628865979381443298969072164948453608247422680412371134020618556701)

as there are 97 possible remainders.. these number of decimal points.. when you try to go further.. the pattern in the bracket will be repeated..

- cobra August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

what 127775 / 50000 should give??
2.(5)
or 2.5555 ??

- cobra August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

@Cobra Answer for 1/97 should be 0.(010309278350515463917525773195876288659793814432989690721649484536082474226804123711340206185567).

Answer for 127775 / 50000 should be definitely 2.5555

- loveCoding August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

@Cobra why are you making it so complex. See Manan's solution its much better and handles all cases with ease.

- Ben August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 vote

any decimal term repeats in a division only when the same remainder
is divided again e.g. 115/99 = 1.161616... 16 are being repeated because
160 and 610 are being divided by 99 again and again
the solution would be to keep track of the reminder if it repeats at any
point stop right there.

here is the java code

public String division(int dividend, int divisor){
StringBuilder quotient = new StringBuilder();
quotient.append(dividend/divisor);
int remainder = dividend%divisor;
if(remainder==0)
return quotient.toString();

//add the decimal part
quotient.append(".");
//take a hashset to check for repeating remainders
Set<Integer> remainders = new HashSet<Integer>();
while(remainder!=0 && remainders.add(remainder)==true){
dividend = remainder*10;
quotient.append(dividend/divisor);
remainder = dividend%divisor;
}

return quotient.toString();
}

- Anonymous August 09, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 vote

package amazon;

import java.util.ArrayList;

public class Divide_A_B {

public static String divide_A_B(int A,int B){
String results="";
if(A%B==0){
results=String.valueOf(A/B);
return results;
}
ArrayList<String> map=new ArrayList<String>();
int begin_maybe=0;
if(A>B){
results=String.valueOf(A/B)+".";
begin_maybe=results.length();
A=(A%B);
}
else{
results="0.";
begin_maybe=2;
}

while(A!=0){
int hasIndex=checkWhetherHasReturnIndex(map,String.valueOf(A));
if(hasIndex!=-1){
results=results.substring(0,begin_maybe+hasIndex)+"("+
results.substring(begin_maybe+hasIndex,results.length())+")";
break;
}
map.add(String.valueOf(A));
A=A*10;
results+=String.valueOf(A/B);
A=(A%B);
}

return results;
}

public static int checkWhetherHasReturnIndex(ArrayList<String> map,String obj){
for(int i=0;i!=map.size();i++){
if(map.get(i).equals(obj)){
return i;
}
}
return -1;
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

System.out.println(divide_A_B(4,8));
System.out.println(divide_A_B(9,5));
System.out.println(divide_A_B(2,10000));
System.out.println(divide_A_B(22,7));
}

}

- Chengyun Zuo August 10, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 vote

public static string divide(int num0, int den0)
        {
            if (den0 == 0) return "Error";
            var retval = new StringBuilder();
            var remainders = new HashSet<int>();
            int num = num0;
            int den = den0;
            int rem = num % den;
            int quot = num / den;
            retval.Append(String.Format("{0}.", quot));
            
            while (rem != 0 )
            {
                num = rem * 10;

                quot = num / den;
                rem = num % den;
                if (remainders.Contains(rem)) break;

                if (rem == num)
                {
                    rem *= 10;
                }
                else
                {
                    remainders.Add(rem);
                }
                retval.Append(quot);
            }

            return retval.ToString();
        }

- larry August 11, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 vote

225/1000 => 2250/1000 => 1000+1000 => 2250 - 2000 => 2*1000 + 250/1000 => 2*1000 (quotient is 2).
250/1000 => 2500/1000 => 2*1000 + 500/1000
500/1000 => 5000/1000 => 5*1000
=> 0.2 + 0.02 + 0.005 = 0.225

22/7 => 7*3 + 1/7 => 7*3 + (10/7)/10 =>
3 + (1+3/7)/10 =>
3 + (1+(30/7)/10)/10 =>
3 + (1+(4+2/7)/10)/10 =>
3 + (1+(4+(2+6/7)/10)/10)/10 =>
=> 3 + 0.1 + 0.04 + 0.002 + ... =>
=> 3.142...

Have the func input a max depth, from which to round up or down.

- Yev August 16, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 vote

public static String division(int A, int B, int precision){

if(B == 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException();

if(A == 0) return "0";

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();

sb.append(A / B).append(".");

A = (A % B) * 10;



for(int i = 0; i < precision; i++){

if(A == 0) return sb.toString();

if(A < B){

sb.append("0");
A *= 10;

}else{
int val = A / B;
A = (A % B)*10;



sb.append(val);
}


}

return sb.toString();

}

- Jakub August 27, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 vote

public static String division(int A, int B, int precision){				
		
		if(B == 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
		
		if(A == 0) return  "0";
		
		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
		
		sb.append(A / B).append(".");
		
		A = (A % B) * 10;
		
		
		
		for(int i = 0; i < precision; i++){
			
			if(A == 0) return sb.toString();
			
			if(A < B){
				
				sb.append("0");
				A *= 10;
				
			}else{			
				int val = A / B;
				A = (A % B)*10;
				
				sb.append(val);												
			}
			
			
		}
		
		return sb.toString();
		
	}

- Jakub August 27, 2012 | Flag Reply
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-1
of 1 vote

one solution is to first try dividing the numbers, like 2/5 , if q == 0, then multiply num by 10 until num is some perfect number and remainder is 0. In case of recurring, we need to find and match pattern in remainder.

- nitin August 08, 2012 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 votes

that is the point. how to do it.

- Sanjay Kumar August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

check for 10/3 ..

- cobra August 08, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

Hey guys, what exactly is wrong with this approach? (casting to floats)

- Anonymous August 09, 2012 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

The issue is that the poster didn't read the problem.

- eugene.yarovoi August 10, 2012 | Flag


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