Home>Courses>Grokking Dynamic Programming Interview

Grokking Dynamic Programming Interview

The ultimate guide to dynamic programming interviews. Developed by FAANG engineers, it equips you with strategic DP skills, practice with real-world questions, and patterns for efficient solutions.

Intermediate

53 Lessons

25h

Certificate of Completion

The ultimate guide to dynamic programming interviews. Developed by FAANG engineers, it equips you with strategic DP skills, practice with real-world questions, and patterns for efficient solutions.

AI-POWERED

Code Feedback

Mock Interview

Explanations

AI-POWERED

Code Feedback

Mock Interview

This course includes

133 Playgrounds

44 Challenges

Learn in a different language:

C++

Java

JavaScript

Python

Course Overview

What You'll Learn

Course Content

Recommendations

Course Overview

Some of the toughest questions in technical interviews require dynamic programming solutions. Dynamic programming (DP) is an advanced optimization technique applied to recursive solutions. However, DP is not a one-size-fits-all technique, and it requires practice to develop the ability to identify the underlying DP patterns. With a strategic approach, coding interview prep for DP problems shouldn’t take more than a few weeks. This course starts with an introduction to DP and thoroughly discusses five DP pa...Show More

What You'll Learn

A deep understanding of the essential patterns behind common dynamic programming interview questions—without having to drill endless problem sets

The ability to identify and apply the underlying pattern in an interview question by assessing the problem statement

Familiarity with dynamic programming techniques with hands-on practice in a setup-free coding environment

The ability to efficiently evaluate the tradeoffs between time and space complexity in different solutions

A flexible conceptual framework for solving any dynamic programming question, by connecting problem characteristics and possible solution techniques

A deep understanding of the essential patterns behind common dynamic programming interview questions—without having to drill endless problem sets

Course Content

Getting Started

3 Lessons

Learn how to use dynamic programming to solve optimization problems efficiently for coding interviews.

Course Overview

Who Should Take This Course

Introduction to Dynamic Programming

0/1 Knapsack

9 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of solving optimization problems using dynamic programming techniques.

Introduction to 0/1 Knapsack

Solving the 0/1 Knapsack Problem

Target Sum

Subset Sum

Count of Subset Sum

Partition Array Into Two Arrays to Minimize Sum Difference

Minimum Number of Refueling Stops

Equal Sum Subarrays

Count Square Submatrices

Unbounded Knapsack

6 Lessons

Go hands-on with optimizing recursive problems using dynamic programming for maximum efficiency.

Introduction to Unbounded Knapsack

Solving the Unbounded Knapsack Problem

Recursive Numbers

12 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of recursive algorithms and optimize with dynamic programming.

Introduction to Recursive Numbers

Fibonacci Numbers

Staircase Problem

Number Factors

Count Ways to Score in a Game

Unique Paths to Goal

Nth Tribonacci Number

The Catalan Numbers

House Thief Problem

Minimum Jumps to Reach the End

Minimum Jumps With Fee

Matrix Chain Multiplication

Longest Common Substring

16 Lessons

Deepen your knowledge of finding common, repeating, and interleaving substrings using dynamic programming.

Introduction to Longest Common Substring

Solving the Longest Common Substring Problem

Longest Common Subsequence

Shortest Common Supersequence

Minimum Number of Deletions and Insertions

Edit Distance Problem

Longest Repeating Subsequence

Distinct Subsequence Pattern Matching

Interleaving Strings

Word Break II

Longest Increasing Subsequence

Minimum Deletions to Make a Sequence Sorted

Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence

Longest Bitonic Subsequence

Longest Alternating Subsequence

Building Bridges

Palindromic Subsequence

6 Lessons

See how it works to identify palindromic subsequences, substrings, and efficient partitioning methods.

Introduction to Palindromic Subsequence

Longest Palindromic Subsequence

Minimum Deletions in a String to make it a Palindrome

Longest Palindromic Substring

Count of Palindromic Substrings

Palindromic Partitioning

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Piece together the parts of your learning journey and continue improving your skills.

Where to Go from Here?

Trusted by 2.5 million developers working at companies

"These are high-quality courses. Trust me. I own around 10 and the price is worth it for the content quality. EducativeInc came at the right time in my career. I'm understanding topics better than with any book or online video tutorial I've done. Truly made for developers. Thanks"

Anthony Walker

@_webarchitect_

"Just finished my first full #ML course: Machine learning for Software Engineers from Educative, Inc. ... Highly recommend!"

Evan Dunbar

ML Engineer

"You guys are the gold standard of crash-courses... Narrow enough that it doesn't need years of study or a full blown book to get the gist, but broad enough that an afternoon of Googling doesn't cut it."

Carlos Matias La Borde

Software Developer

"I spend my days and nights on Educative. It is indispensable. It is such a unique and reader-friendly site"

Souvik Kundu

Front-end Developer

"Your courses are simply awesome, the depth they go into and the breadth of coverage is so good that I don't have to refer to 10 different websites looking for interview topics and content."

Vinay Krishnaiah

Software Developer

"I've tried probably 5-7 different sites and Educative is easily the best. It perfectly blends explanation with interactivity"

Eric Downs

Musician/Entrepeneur

Hands-on Learning Powered by AI

See how Educative uses AI to make your learning more immersive than ever before.

Instant Code Feedback

Evaluate and debug your code with the click of a button. Get real-time feedback on test cases, including time and space complexity of your solutions.

AI-Powered Mock Interviews

Put your skills to the test in a simulated interview setting. Receive personalized feedback based on your performance. Available in Premium & Premium Plus plans.

Adaptive Learning

At various checkpoints throughout Educative courses, you will be prompted to take a quick assessment. Receive a condensed curriculum tailored to your strengths and skill gaps.

Explain with AI

Select any text within any Educative course, and get an instant explanation — without ever leaving your browser.

AI Code Mentor

AI Code Mentor helps you quickly identify errors in your code, learn from your mistakes, and nudge you in the right direction — just like a 1:1 tutor!

Recommended before starting this course

Course

Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns

Master 24 essential coding patterns to solve thousands of LeetCode-style questions. Efficiently prepare for coding interviews with the ultimate course created by FAANG engineers.

intermediate

85 hours

Course

Recursion for Coding Interviews in Java

Master recursion in Java for coding interviews, enhance problem-solving skills, and tackle real-world challenges confidently.

intermediate

6 hours

Course

Big-O Notation For Coding Interviews and Beyond

beginner

10 hours

Course

Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns

intermediate

85 hour

Course

Recursion for Coding Interviews in Java

intermediate

6 hour

Course

Big-O Notation For Coding Interviews and Beyond

beginner

10 hour

Related Courses and Skill Paths

Course

Grokking the Low Level Design Interview Using OOD Principles

A battle-tested guide to Object Oriented Design Interviews – developed by FAANG engineers. Master OOD fundamentals & practice real-world interview questions.

intermediate

50 hours

Course

Grokking Bit Manipulation for Coding Interviews

intermediate

3 hours

Course

Java Multithreading for Senior Engineering Interviews

The only guide you’ll need on concurrency & multithreading for senior engineers. Pressure test your skills with real-world practice problems from top companies.

beginner

15 hours

Course

Grokking the Low Level Design Interview Using OOD Principles

intermediate

50 hour

Course

Grokking Bit Manipulation for Coding Interviews

intermediate

3 hour

Course

Java Multithreading for Senior Engineering Interviews

beginner

15 hour

Free Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between memoization and tabulation in dynamic programming?

Memoization is a top-down approach in which recursive calls are made, and solutions to subproblems are stored in memory to prevent redundant calculations. Tabulation, in contrast, is a bottom-up approach in which you iteratively solve subproblems and fill out a table from the base case to the final solution. Both techniques help improve efficiency but are used based on the problem’s nature.

How can I practice dynamic programming to improve interviews?

You can practice dynamic programming problems on LeetCode and Educative. Begin with well-known DP problems such as Fibonacci, 0/1 Knapsack, and Longest Common Subsequence. Solving these basic problems will help you build a foundation before tackling more advanced problems frequently appearing in interviews.

How can I recognize if a problem is suited for dynamic programming?

It likely requires dynamic programming if a problem involves repeated subproblems or recursive calls where solutions are recomputed. Problems asking for “optimal” results, such as maximum profit, shortest path, or longest sequence, indicate that DP may be needed to avoid redundant work and improve efficiency.

Why is dynamic programming emphasized in technical interviews?

Interviewers focus on dynamic programming because it tests your ability to break complex problems into smaller, manageable parts. DP questions challenge candidates to think critically, optimize for efficiency, and use resources effectively—skills highly valued in software engineering roles.