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Search in a Rotated Sorted Array

Given an array of distinct integers that was originally sorted ascending and then rotated at an unknown pivot, determine the index of a target value or report that it is absent.

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1. Problem Statement

You are given an array of distinct integers that was sorted ascending and then rotated at some unknown pivot, and a target value. Return the index of the target, or -1 if it is not present.

2. Live Coding Format

Work in the provided coding workspace while explaining your decisions to the live interviewer. Validation may use inline tests, examples, comments, or a verbal walkthrough.

3. Key Focus Areas

  • 1
    Problem clarification and contract
  • 2
    Approach exploration and optimality
  • 3
    Think-aloud communication and pacing
  • 4
    Implementation correctness
  • 5
    Code quality and language fluency
  • 6
    Tests and dry run
  • 7
    Debugging and self-correction
  • 8
    Complexity analysis
  • 9
    Follow-up performance

4. What Strong Candidates Should Demonstrate

  • Clarify uniqueness of values, rotation guarantees, and no-match behavior before coding.
  • Explain a linear-scan baseline and improve it to a logarithmic-time search.
  • Think aloud while implementing careful boundary and midpoint logic.
  • Validate with explicit expected outputs and a top-to-bottom dry run.
  • Analyze time and space complexity and handle a bounded follow-up modification.

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Core Concepts

Hidden because they name the technique, which a real interviewer would not tell you.

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Binary SearchArraysComplexity Analysis

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