Furthest Point From Origin
A easy-tier problem at 64% community acceptance, tagged with String, Counting. Reported in interviews at Barclays and 0 others.
You're in a Barclays online assessment and hit a string problem that sounds like geometry but isn't. Furthest Point From Origin reads like a coordinate-space puzzle, but the real task is simpler: track distance math over a sequence of moves encoded as commands. The 64% acceptance rate tells you most people either overthink the coordinate system or make an off-by-one error on the final distance calculation. If you blank on the formula during the live OA, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor.
Companies that ask "Furthest Point From Origin"
Furthest Point From Origin 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 FAANG engineer who treats the OA the way companies treat hiring: as a game with rules you should know.
Get StealthCoderThe trick is recognizing that you're not building a graph or doing graph search. You simulate movement step-by-step, track your x and y coordinates, and compute the Euclidean distance at the end: sqrt(x squared plus y squared). The common trap is either forgetting to square both coordinates, using Manhattan distance by mistake, or losing track of signs when parsing directional commands. Most candidates who fail here either misread the problem as requiring path reconstruction or spend time optimizing movement instead of just tracking final position. When you're stuck mid-OA on the exact distance formula or coordinate arithmetic, that's where StealthCoder becomes your safety net, running invisibly and providing the clean solution before panic sets in.
Pattern tags
You know the problem.
Make sure you actually pass it.
Furthest Point From Origin 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 FAANG engineer who treats the OA the way companies treat hiring: as a game with rules you should know. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Furthest Point From Origin interview FAQ
Is Furthest Point From Origin still asked at Barclays?+
Yes, it shows up in their assessments. The company count is small, but presence is confirmed. It's the kind of problem that tests basic simulation and math literacy, which Barclays values. Don't skip it in prep.
What's the trick I'm missing if I keep getting the distance wrong?+
You're probably using the wrong distance formula or mishandling coordinate signs. Remember: distance is sqrt(x^2 + y^2), not abs(x) + abs(y). Also double-check that you're accumulating x and y correctly as you parse each command.
Why is the acceptance rate only 64% if this is an Easy problem?+
Careless mistakes on formula and coordinate tracking account for most failures. Easy doesn't mean trivial. Off-by-one errors, sign mistakes, and misreading the output format (integer vs. float) trip people up fast. Slow down and trace through an example by hand.
How does String relate to this problem?+
You're parsing a string of command characters (like 'U', 'D', 'L', 'R' or similar) to extract direction and step count. String iteration and character classification are the main tools. Once you extract the moves, the math part is straightforward.
Should I pre-calculate the distance or compute it after all moves?+
Compute it after all moves are done. You need the final x and y coordinates to calculate distance. There's no need to track distance at each step, only position. That simplification also reduces error surface.
Want the actual problem statement? View "Furthest Point From Origin" on LeetCode →