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espes

So the thing is:

> tricky graph searches

> finding eigenvectors

> building heaps

> balancing trees

> non-recursive quicksorts

All these 'scary' 'hardcore' things are covered in the first year of most good CS programs.

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As someone who graduated from a good CS program 19 years ago, and has been in a wide variety of positions over the years, I haven't had to do anything on your list but two or three times. While there are types of work that are algorithm heavy, most are not. Many people with 10 years of experience or more may be great software engineers but don't remember the details from their first year in CS.

And yet I've had people literally laugh on interviews when asked to merely describe binary search (if 10 yr olds can figure it out, it seems fair to ask a pro). Even if they have a masters in CS.

Laugh because it's too-easy, or as some sort of "I should know this, and it's ironic you ask me, because I can't remember" type of laugh?

Laugh because they think I'm joking, cause how could that possibly be relevant.

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