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Find minimum and most frequent number efficiently

MetaSoftware Engineer · Technical Screen
MediumSoftware EngineerTechnical ScreenCoding & Algorithms

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Find minimum and most frequent number efficiently 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 unsorted integer array, write functions to: (a) find the minimum value; and (b) find any value that occurs most frequently (if multiple values tie for highest frequency, return any one). Provide a straightforward baseline, then analyze its time and space complexity. Follow-up: Reduce running time by trading additional memory (e.g., using auxiliary data structures); describe the trade-offs and implement the improved version.