Top K Frequent Elements

Phone ScreenSnowflakeLast reported August 2026Medium Frequency
Reported
6× across candidate reports
First seen
April 2025
Last reported
August 2026
Reported outcome
mixed

Problem Overview

Given a collection of elements (search words, hashtags, book titles, event keys, etc.) each associated with a count or frequency, find the top K most frequent elements and return them in descending order of frequency. Variants include: (1) standard top-K from a static dataset; (2) a stateful 'bestSellers' system where…

  • 5 candidate-reported follow-ups — the exact probes interviewers asked, with the trigger for each
  • The rest of the problem statement — full requirements, constraints, and edge cases
  • Approach and trade-offs — what passing candidates did, and the mistakes that sink people
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Verified Source
Every question is reconstructed from multiple independent candidate reports. Verbatim follow-ups, not invented ones.
Codex Fact-Checked
Technical claims, formulas, and scale numbers are reviewed against primary sources.
Interviewer Follow-ups
The exact follow-ups reported by candidates, with the trigger that prompts each one — plus the mistakes that sink people.
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