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Count Contiguous Runs Summing to a Target

Given a sequence of integers (possibly negative) and a target sum, count how many contiguous subarrays sum exactly to the target.

Practice in Interview Dashboard

1. Problem Statement

You are given an array of integers and a target sum. Count the number of contiguous subarrays whose elements sum to the target.

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 sign, size, and zero-sum assumptions before coding.
  • Explain a brute-force baseline and improve it to a linear-time solution that handles negative values.
  • Think aloud while implementing readable, correct code.
  • 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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Practice this problem in the live coding workspace while the interviewer probes your clarification, implementation, trade-offs, and validation.

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Core Concepts

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

Show core concepts
ArraysHash MapsPrefix SumsComplexity Analysis

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