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Detect Cycles in Graphs

MediumCoding00:00
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Your question is Detect Cycles in Graphs. Take a moment with it on the right.

Talk me through your thinking if you like. When you're confident, submit your answer and I'll grade it like a real screen (7/10 or better passes).

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Problem

Explain how to detect whether a graph contains a cycle. Cover both undirected and directed graphs, and describe what traversal state you would maintain in each case.

What to Address

  • How DFS works for cycle detection
  • Why undirected graphs need parent tracking
  • Why directed graphs need recursion-stack or node-state tracking
  • How to handle disconnected graphs

Interview Signals

  • Correctly distinguishes directed vs undirected logic
  • Explains the cycle condition precisely
  • Mentions time and space complexity