A solution is only as good as its handling of the "weird stuff." Always test for: (null, empty strings, 0). Single elements (an array of size 1). Large inputs (integer overflows). Duplicates (especially in sorting or searching). The Golden Rule
Don't jump straight into your IDE. Professional problem solving follows a structured sequence:
Get it working first, then make it fast, then make it clean. Problem Solving in Data Structures & Algorithms...
Finding subarrays or substrings (e.g., "Longest substring without repeating characters").
If you get stuck, explain the logic out loud to an inanimate object (or yourself). Translating abstract thoughts into spoken words often exposes the "logic gap" that your brain was subconsciously skipping over. 4. Implementation & Edge Cases A solution is only as good as its
Searching in sorted arrays or linked lists (e.g., "Pair with a specific sum").
Finding the shortest path in an unweighted graph or tree level-order traversal. Duplicates (especially in sorting or searching)
Dealing with "Top K" elements or frequently updated minimums/maximums. 3. The "Rubber Duck" Debugging Technique