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Compute longest increasing path in a matrix

MetaSoftware Engineer · Technical Screen
MediumSoftware EngineerTechnical ScreenCoding & Algorithms

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Compute longest increasing path in a matrix evaluates algorithm design, data structures, correctness, complexity, edge cases, and implementation details in a realistic interview setting. A strong answer states assumptions, handles edge cases, explains trade-offs, and shows how to validate the result clearly.

Given an m × n integer matrix, return the length of the longest path of strictly increasing values, where from each cell you may move only up, down, left, or right. Design an efficient algorithm and analyze its time and space complexity. Follow-up: Handle very large matrices where recursion depth could be an issue; provide an iterative or memoized approach that avoids stack overflow.