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Dynamic Programming Patterns Overview

Master DP through 16 patterns, ordered by real interview frequency.

📊 Pattern Frequency in Real Interviews​

FOCUS ON TOP 3 PATTERNS FIRST

The top 3 patterns (Linear Sequence, LIS, Knapsack) cover 55% of DP interview questions!

 

🥇 Tier 1: Must Master (55% Coverage)​

PatternFrequencyVisual
🥇 Linear Sequence26%█████████████
🥈 LIS16%████████
🥉 Knapsack13%██████▌

 

📌 Tier 2: High Frequency (28% Coverage)​

PatternFrequencyVisual
📌 Grid Traversal10%█████
📌 String DP10%█████
📌 Subset Sum & Partition8%████

 

🔸 Tier 3: Medium Frequency (11% Coverage)​

PatternFrequencyVisual
🔸 Palindrome DP5%██▌
🔸 Interval DP3%█▌
🔸 Counting DP3%█▌

 

🔹 Tier 4: Specialized Patterns (6% Coverage)​

PatternFrequencyVisual
🔹 State Machine2%█
🔹 DP on Trees2%█
🔹 DAG, Game Theory, etc.2%█

 

🎯 Learning Path Recommendations​

For Interview Prep (2-4 weeks)​

  1. Week 1: Pattern 1 (Linear Sequence) - 26% coverage
  2. Week 2: Pattern 2 (LIS) + Pattern 3 (Knapsack) - 55% total
  3. Week 3: Patterns 4-6 (Grid, String, Subset) - 83% total
  4. Week 4: Patterns 7-9 (Palindrome, Interval, Counting) - 94% total

For Comprehensive Mastery (6-8 weeks)​

  • Weeks 1-4: Follow interview prep path above
  • Weeks 5-6: Patterns 10-11 (State Machine, Tree DP)
  • Weeks 7-8: Advanced patterns (DAG, Game Theory, Optimizations, Bitmask)

📝 Important Notes​

PATTERN DISTRIBUTION

Percentages are normalized to 100% total, representing the relative frequency of each pattern in interview questions. Some problems can be solved using multiple patterns, so you may see overlap in practice.

PATTERN DIFFICULTY vs FREQUENCY

Rare patterns aren't necessarily harder - they just appear less often in interviews. Master common patterns first for maximum ROI.

🚀 Ready to Start?​

Begin with Pattern 1: Linear Sequence below to master the most common DP interview pattern!