Ask HN: What is your go to idiot-filter question in interviews?

Re:Ask HN: What is your go to idiot-filter question in inter... by wruza on Thursday December 08, 2022 @02:29AM (#33905233)

I don’t understand. The simple formula is provided, all they’re expected to do is to

- figure out what parameters should look like

- detect edge cases (e.g. division by zero when a==0 or sqrt of negative value)

- and discuss its usage (how to return 0, 1, 2 roots and how you signal it to the caller so it’s convenient)

And this is not a silent-wait quiz. When they seem confused I ask directly what it would return if `a` is zero. Or tell that a, b and c are parameters to such equation.

Anyway, maybe it’s sort of a TIL moment and I should stick more to fizzbuzz with periods changed or to string reversal.

But I feel confused about it as hell.

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Re:Ask HN: What is your go to idiot-filter question in inter... by nailer on Thursday December 08, 2022 @05:30AM (#33906392)

I dive into math occasionally when working on animation and (real) crypto, and then forget about it when I go back to whatever I'm working on.

Actually looking up the formula for the first time in 20 years it's readable (i.e. doesn't use symbols I don't already know) so yes I'd be able to solve it. That's not guaranteed with every formula though.

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