Dataford
Interview QuestionsInterview GuidesExperiencesMock InterviewsPricing
Get started

Set Bits Optimization

MediumPython00:00
Practice interviewer
In session
5 left
00:00

Your question is Set Bits Optimization. Start with the requirements on the right.

Run and submit as often as you like. When you're ready, talk me through your approach or go straight to the code.

You need to log in / sign up to run or submit.

Problem

Intel Atom® x6000E firmware frequently inspects fixed-width control and status registers. Implement an optimized function that returns the number of set bits in a nonnegative integer represented with a specified number of bits.

The implementation should use parallel bit-counting operations rather than examining each bit individually. Treat value as an unsigned width-bit register value.

Formal Specification

Implement count_set_bits(value, width).

  • Input: value, a nonnegative integer, and width, an integer from 1 through 64.
  • Output: An integer equal to the number of 1 bits in the low width bits of value.
  • Inputs satisfy 0 <= value < 2 ** width.

Constraints

  • 1 <= width <= 64
  • 0 <= value < 2 ** width
  • The value represents an unsigned fixed-width register
  • Do not use string conversion or a built-in population-count method

Function Signature

def count_set_bits(value, width):
Your solutionPython 3
You need to log in / sign up to run or submit.
Run your code to see test output