Store Closing-Time Penalty

Problem Overview

A multi-part coding problem (P1, P2, P3) involving stores and time-based penalties. Each part builds on the previous with increasing difficulty. The core problem concerns calculating penalties based on store opening/closing times — for example, penalizing based on how late or early a store closes relative to some target or…

• 2 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