Degree of an Array
A easy-tier problem at 57% community acceptance, tagged with Array, Hash Table. Reported in interviews at GE Digital and 13 others.
Degree of an Array shows up across 14 companies including Walmart Labs, Salesforce, and ByteDance, yet 43% of candidates miss it on their first attempt. The problem looks trivial at first: count how many times each number appears, then return the minimum frequency. The trap is assuming a simple linear scan will work fine. You'll hit it during a live OA when you haven't drilled the hash table pattern enough to spot the optimization immediately. That's where StealthCoder cuts through the noise: it reads the problem, identifies the pattern, and surfaces a working solution in seconds while the proctor sees nothing.
Companies that ask "Degree of an Array"
Degree of an Array 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. Made by a working Amazon engineer who got tired of watching qualified friends bomb OAs they'd solve cold in an IDE.
Get StealthCoderThe core pattern is straightforward but sloppy implementations fail. Build a frequency map (hash table) of every element, then iterate through the map to find the minimum count. Candidates often overthink it by trying to sort or use multiple passes when one pass through the map is enough. The acceptance rate sits near 57%, which means it's genuinely easy conceptually but easy to bungle in execution under interview pressure. Common mistakes: forgetting edge cases like empty arrays, initializing your answer to infinity instead of a real value, or mixing up whether you want the degree (minimum frequency) or something else. StealthCoder handles the boilerplate instantly, so if you blank on the exact hash table setup or loop order during the live assessment, you've got your hedge.
Pattern tags
You know the problem.
Make sure you actually pass it.
Degree of an Array 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. Made by a working Amazon engineer who got tired of watching qualified friends bomb OAs they'd solve cold in an IDE. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Degree of an Array interview FAQ
How hard is Degree of an Array really, given it's marked Easy?+
It's conceptually easy: count frequencies, find the minimum. But the 57% acceptance rate shows candidates stumble on edge cases and implementation details under pressure. It's a false easy. You need clean hash table practice before the live OA.
Is this problem still asked at FAANG and mid-market companies?+
Yes. It appears across Walmart Labs, Salesforce, ByteDance, and eight other mid-to-large companies in the dataset. It's not flashy, but it's a reliable screening question because it tests fundamental hash table and array iteration skills.
What's the algorithmic trick I'm missing?+
There's no hidden trick. The pattern is hash table for frequency counting, then a single pass to find the minimum. The trick is recognizing you don't need sorting or complex logic. Simplicity is the trap most candidates fall into by overcomplicating it.
Which topics does this problem actually test?+
Array and Hash Table, directly. You're iterating through an array and storing counts in a hash map. It's a straightforward pattern match. If you're weak on hash table construction or map iteration, this exposes it immediately.
Should I drill this before a live OA, or is it a throwaway problem?+
Drill it. It's asked by 14 companies and the acceptance rate proves even easy problems trip up candidates on the live clock. It's quick practice that builds muscle memory for hash table problems and counts as a full warm-up.
Want the actual problem statement? View "Degree of an Array" on LeetCode →