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Interview Question

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    Nah - you just touch the two ends together and light them both at the same time! :laugh: (Or light one end from the other, but that produces a slightly less accurate 1/2 hour)

    Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

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    L Offline
    Lost User
    wrote on last edited by
    #30

    You might have found a loophole.

    OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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    • L Lost User

      You might have found a loophole.

      OriginalGriffO Offline
      OriginalGriffO Offline
      OriginalGriff
      wrote on last edited by
      #31

      :laugh: It's good stuff, this rope theory! Cutting edge...

      Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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      • R Rahul VB

        Hello Friends, I went for an interview to a company: they asked me these 2 questions: 1> I have a rope. There is no tool available to measure that rope. I can just measure that rope using time. For example i set it on fire and the rope burns for one hour. a>Now i want to measure the rope for half an hour what to do? b>I want to measure it for 45 minutes. How to do? 2> I have a figure below: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) I want to convert it to: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) You have 2 options: a>Either use 3 smilies at once to rearrange the figure. b>Or use a combination of (2 + 1) smilies to rearrange the figure. which means you have only 1 chance if you use 3 smilies. OR 2 chances if you use (2 + 1) smilies You cant do a 1 + 1 + 1 combination of smilies to rearrange the figure. I was given 15 minutes to solve the above problems. Thanks a ton

        L Offline
        L Offline
        Lost User
        wrote on last edited by
        #32

        Try this "How many interview questions does it take to make a piece of software that works?".

        Peter Wasser "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

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        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

          :laugh: It's good stuff, this rope theory! Cutting edge...

          Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

          R Offline
          R Offline
          Rahul VB
          wrote on last edited by
          #33

          :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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          • L Lost User

            Try this "How many interview questions does it take to make a piece of software that works?".

            Peter Wasser "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

            R Offline
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            Rahul VB
            wrote on last edited by
            #34

            Now thats a good one. :laugh:

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

              :laugh: It's good stuff, this rope theory! Cutting edge...

              Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

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              Kenneth Haugland
              wrote on last edited by
              #35

              In this case no noose is good news :laugh:

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              • R Rahul VB

                Hello Sir, Please dont be upset with me. Firstly, It was asked to me. I dint make it up. Secondly, you cant fold the rope. Lastly, consider the smilies as balls. You are supposed to move the balls or place the balls. Combination of (2+1) means either in the first move you pick 2 balls up and then 1 ball or vice versa, your wish. Thanks, Rahul

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                CHill60
                wrote on last edited by
                #36

                Where's the constraint about not being able to fold the rope?

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                • L Lost User

                  That's in violation of my stated assumptions. In order to utilize both sides, you have to be able to light it twice, which means you can do more than just light it and then observe.

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                  PIEBALDconsult
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #37

                  Light it in the middle.

                  You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.

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                  • L Lost User

                    Try this "How many interview questions does it take to make a piece of software that works?".

                    Peter Wasser "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    PIEBALDconsult
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #38

                    It's the journey, not the destination.

                    You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • P PIEBALDconsult

                      Light it in the middle.

                      You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #39

                      How do you know where that is? I would have liked to fold it in half, get the middle that way, then fold it again at 3/4 for part 2 of the question, but OP said no folding..

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                      • L Lost User

                        How do you know where that is? I would have liked to fold it in half, get the middle that way, then fold it again at 3/4 for part 2 of the question, but OP said no folding..

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                        PIEBALDconsult
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #40

                        I'd fold it anyway. The interviewer sounds an ass. The question is likely something that has morphed beyond recognition with retelling.

                        You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.

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                        • R Rahul VB

                          Hello Friends, I went for an interview to a company: they asked me these 2 questions: 1> I have a rope. There is no tool available to measure that rope. I can just measure that rope using time. For example i set it on fire and the rope burns for one hour. a>Now i want to measure the rope for half an hour what to do? b>I want to measure it for 45 minutes. How to do? 2> I have a figure below: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) I want to convert it to: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) You have 2 options: a>Either use 3 smilies at once to rearrange the figure. b>Or use a combination of (2 + 1) smilies to rearrange the figure. which means you have only 1 chance if you use 3 smilies. OR 2 chances if you use (2 + 1) smilies You cant do a 1 + 1 + 1 combination of smilies to rearrange the figure. I was given 15 minutes to solve the above problems. Thanks a ton

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                          Paulo Zemek
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #41

                          Actually for the second item, move 2 items from line 4 (the two at right) to line 2. Then move the line 1 to line "5". You will actually create a new line but, as the only thing that matters is the "triangle" you will solve the problem. But the item 1 is pretty problematic. Actually, fire is only an example or we should use fire? After all, the text says "we can only measure using time" but the example uses time + fire. So, could we use water? Acid? Or other things? Or can we only use fire + time? And what measure the rope for half an hour means? Is the purpose to measure the same rope using half time? Because if the idea is to measure the rope for a maximum of half an hour, well, extinguish the fire after half an hour (using water, hehe). After 45 minutes? Extinguish the fire after 45 minutes... Actually I don't know if this is a translation problem, but as it looks, I could simply measure the same rope but, for some reason, stop measuring before it is entirely destroyed. If we actually have ropes of the same size and we do the tests in order, we could: Start the fire at both places on the second case. Start the fire on one side, wait 15 minutes and start the fire on the other side. If we actually know how much time it takes for the entire rope (nothing is saying me we don't know) we can do that "trick" to achieve the right value... but in that case we already have the result of a previous measure. Note: I am not saying to fold the rope as I already saw in the messages that such thing is not allowed.

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                          • L Lost User

                            Typical bullshit questions. As for the rope, what are you allowed to do? Are you allowed to fold it in half? The smilies are even more under-specified. What exactly are the moves you're allowed to use? "Use a combination of (2 + 1)" doesn't mean anything.

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                            Mike Winiberg
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #42

                            I think that's the whole point - they expect you to talk about what do and how that would give the desired result - in other words its a test of your ability to reason and explain your reasoning (like so many of these wanky things). So you could answer. fold rope in half, cut it and get two half-hour burns (ie light them simultaneously), or - as someone else said - light both ends. For the 45 mins, fold in half, fold one half in half again, then light the bend - the longer piece will burn for 45 mins, and so on. For the smilies, it's easy to see how to move a group of 3 to swap the figure, does that count as 2+1 or 3 - you would be expected to reason that out. I prefer to talk to someone generally about their work, get them to meet the team and talk about things they've actually done, including some technical discussion and reasons for why they took the approach they did. Simple reasoning tests like this where there is ambiguity, and where you are expected to reason about the answers have more value than many things done at interview, even though I wouldn't use them myself.

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                            • M Mike Winiberg

                              I think that's the whole point - they expect you to talk about what do and how that would give the desired result - in other words its a test of your ability to reason and explain your reasoning (like so many of these wanky things). So you could answer. fold rope in half, cut it and get two half-hour burns (ie light them simultaneously), or - as someone else said - light both ends. For the 45 mins, fold in half, fold one half in half again, then light the bend - the longer piece will burn for 45 mins, and so on. For the smilies, it's easy to see how to move a group of 3 to swap the figure, does that count as 2+1 or 3 - you would be expected to reason that out. I prefer to talk to someone generally about their work, get them to meet the team and talk about things they've actually done, including some technical discussion and reasons for why they took the approach they did. Simple reasoning tests like this where there is ambiguity, and where you are expected to reason about the answers have more value than many things done at interview, even though I wouldn't use them myself.

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                              Rahul VB
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #43

                              Yes Sir, Thats true. Capability and knowledge is every thing. This aptitude test and all bull shit. And on top of that what is the need to impose a criteria like 60% and above throughout academics? Its becoming frustrating now. In one company i cleared all aptitude and technical rounds, however one person who topped throughout his academics flunked these tests. Now what can be said about this? Well i hope these practices are not followed else where. Thanks and Regards, Rahul.

                              K 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • R Rahul VB

                                Hello Friends, I went for an interview to a company: they asked me these 2 questions: 1> I have a rope. There is no tool available to measure that rope. I can just measure that rope using time. For example i set it on fire and the rope burns for one hour. a>Now i want to measure the rope for half an hour what to do? b>I want to measure it for 45 minutes. How to do? 2> I have a figure below: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) I want to convert it to: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) You have 2 options: a>Either use 3 smilies at once to rearrange the figure. b>Or use a combination of (2 + 1) smilies to rearrange the figure. which means you have only 1 chance if you use 3 smilies. OR 2 chances if you use (2 + 1) smilies You cant do a 1 + 1 + 1 combination of smilies to rearrange the figure. I was given 15 minutes to solve the above problems. Thanks a ton

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                                Stefan_Lang
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #44
                                1. Since you already know how long the rope is going to burn, what is there left to measure? And anyway, since you're burning the rope - what is the point of measuring it? ;P 2) I don't see the difference between 3 or 2+1 or 1+1+1. Maybe your description of the problem is lacking some side conditions, or is inaccurate? Maybe you should view the problem at a different angle - say 90 degrees ;)

                                GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto) Point in case: http://www.infoq.com/news/2014/02/apple_gotofail_lessons[^]

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                                • L Lost User

                                  How do you know where that is? I would have liked to fold it in half, get the middle that way, then fold it again at 3/4 for part 2 of the question, but OP said no folding..

                                  S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  Stefan_Lang
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #45

                                  Easy: Burn the interviewer first, then fold the rope. :cool:

                                  GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto) Point in case: http://www.infoq.com/news/2014/02/apple_gotofail_lessons[^]

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                                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                    The first one is rather simple: took about 10 seconds to work that one out. Set fire to both ends.

                                    Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

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                                    G Offline
                                    greldak
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #46

                                    That fails the 15 min requirement Why not just fold it into half (or quarters for 15 min) when it reaches the fold you're done

                                    OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • R Rahul VB

                                      Hello Friends, I went for an interview to a company: they asked me these 2 questions: 1> I have a rope. There is no tool available to measure that rope. I can just measure that rope using time. For example i set it on fire and the rope burns for one hour. a>Now i want to measure the rope for half an hour what to do? b>I want to measure it for 45 minutes. How to do? 2> I have a figure below: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) I want to convert it to: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) You have 2 options: a>Either use 3 smilies at once to rearrange the figure. b>Or use a combination of (2 + 1) smilies to rearrange the figure. which means you have only 1 chance if you use 3 smilies. OR 2 chances if you use (2 + 1) smilies You cant do a 1 + 1 + 1 combination of smilies to rearrange the figure. I was given 15 minutes to solve the above problems. Thanks a ton

                                      S Offline
                                      S Offline
                                      Stefan_Lang
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #47

                                      On a more serious note: as incomplete and nonsensical as these questions seem, client specifications for a project are typically just as incomplete and nonsensical. Maybe the point of these questions was to query for more specific information to the point where the problem is sufficiently specified to actually come up with a solution?

                                      GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto) Point in case: http://www.infoq.com/news/2014/02/apple_gotofail_lessons[^]

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • G greldak

                                        That fails the 15 min requirement Why not just fold it into half (or quarters for 15 min) when it reaches the fold you're done

                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriffO Offline
                                        OriginalGriff
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #48

                                        There is no 15 min requirement: 30 and 45. For 45, cut it in half, burn one half, then burn the other from both ends.

                                        Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                                        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                        G 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                          There is no 15 min requirement: 30 and 45. For 45, cut it in half, burn one half, then burn the other from both ends.

                                          Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

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                                          G Offline
                                          greldak
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #49

                                          You're not allowed to cut it - by folding it into quarters you can get any multiple of 15 minutes up to 60 including 45

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