Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I
A easy-tier problem at 47% community acceptance, tagged with String. Reported in interviews at Citrix and 0 others.
You're looking at a string manipulation problem that Citrix has asked. With a sub-50% acceptance rate despite the easy tag, candidates are getting tripped up on what the operation actually allows. The catch is figuring out which characters can move and when two strings become equal under the allowed transformation. If this lands in your live assessment and you freeze on the mechanics, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor.
Companies that ask "Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I"
Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I is the kind of problem that decides whether you pass. StealthCoder reads the problem on screen and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Invisible to screen share. The proctor sees nothing. Built by an Amazon engineer who realized the OA tests how well you memorized 200 problems, not how well you code.
Get StealthCoderThe problem hinges on understanding what 'equal with operations' means. Most candidates assume they need to sort, swap adjacent characters, or apply some generic transformation, but the trick is that the operation is specific and constrained. You need to figure out: which characters can actually move, what positions they can reach, and when rearrangement is impossible. The gotcha is that an operation might look like it opens all possibilities but doesn't. Common fail: trying to match the strings character-by-character without respecting the operation's limits. The right approach identifies which character positions are reachable from which starting positions under the rule, then checks if one string can be transformed to the other. StealthCoder handles the operation's exact mechanics so you don't waste assessment time on ambiguity.
Pattern tags
You know the problem.
Make sure you actually pass it.
Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I recycles across companies for a reason. It's easy-tier, and most candidates blank under the timer. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay invisible during screen share. It reads the problem and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Built by an Amazon engineer who realized the OA tests how well you memorized 200 problems, not how well you code. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I interview FAQ
Why is acceptance so low on an easy problem?+
The operation's constraints aren't obvious from the problem statement alone. Candidates misread what transformation is allowed and code against the wrong logic. Edge cases around when no operation applies also catch people off guard.
Is this actually asked in real interviews at Citrix?+
Yes, Citrix has reported this problem. It's relatively recent and still uncommon, so you won't find it drilled in every prep platform. That makes it a curveball in a live OA.
What's the core algorithmic trick?+
Determine which positions each character can reach under the operation rule. If both strings have the same characters and each character in string A can reach the positions of that character in string B, transformation is possible. Otherwise, it's not.
Will sorting work?+
Not always. The operation may not allow full rearrangement. Sorting assumes any permutation is reachable, which is false here. You must respect the operation's specific constraints, not assume full freedom.
How much time should I spend on this if I'm stuck?+
If the operation's mechanics aren't clicking after 5-7 minutes, move on and come back. Missing the constraint is a logic error, not a speed issue. Forcing it eats time better spent elsewhere.
Want the actual problem statement? View "Check if Strings Can be Made Equal With Operations I" on LeetCode →