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Compute weighted sum of nested lists

MetaSoftware Engineer · Technical Screen
MediumSoftware EngineerTechnical ScreenCoding & Algorithms

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This interview question evaluates algorithm design, data structures, correctness, complexity, edge cases, and implementation details in a realistic interview setting. A strong answer for Compute weighted sum of nested lists states assumptions, handles edge cases, explains trade-offs, and shows how to validate the result clearly.

Given a nested collection that can contain integers or other nested collections, compute the depth-weighted sum where each integer is multiplied by its 1-based depth. Implement both DFS and BFS solutions, analyze time and space complexity, and discuss how you would adapt the approach if the weighting is inverted (deepest level has weight 1).