B

balanced tree, 57

bandwidth, 189

base cases

invoking directly without a recursive call, 96

in recursive algorithms, 89

separating from recursive cases, 96

base class in inheritance, 122

base conversion problem, compared to Number of Ones, 155

best case running time, 22

BFS (breadth-first search), 46, 59

big companies, working for, 2

big-endian machine, 153

Big-endian or Little-endian problem, 153–155

big-O run-time analysis

defined, 20

described, 21–22

example of, 20–21

general procedure for, 22–23

optimizations and, 23

binary operators, 145

binary representation of decimal digits, 85–86

binary search, 93

Binary Search problem, 92–95

binary search trees (BSTs)

compared to hash tables, 190–191

described, 56–58

performing a preorder traversal of, 61–62

performing lookups in, 57–58

special properties of, 65

binary tree problems, 61–66

binary trees, 55–56

binary two’s complement notation, 144–145

bit manipulation, as an interview topic, 144–146

bitwise operators, 145–146

Boat and Dock problem, 174–176

bookmarking sites, 3

bookstores, as a job market information source, 3

boundary conditions, checking code for, 19

boys, escaping a train, 183–184

brainteaser problems, 162–172

brainteasers

described, 159

drawing pictures to solve, 173

graphical or involving spatial thinking, 173–184

not being intimidated by, 161

tackling, 159–162

breadth-first search (BFS), 46, 59

Bridge Crossing problem, 165–168

BSTs. See binary search trees

buffer, producers and consumers using simultaneously, 116–117

bug-finding problems, generic strategy for, 40

bugs, finding and fixing, 1

Bugs in removeHead problem, 40–41

bulleted lists on a resume, 208, 209

Burning Fuses problem, 180, 182

business cards, collecting from interviewers, 12

busy waiting, avoiding, 112–117

Busy Waiting problem, 112–114

buzzword compliance of resume information, 207

bytes, referring to individual characters, 71