Approach

To tackle the problem of calculating the minimum cost to reach the top of a staircase, we can utilize a structured approach based on dynamic programming. Here’s how you can break it down:

1. Understand the Problem: We need to find the minimum cost to climb a staircase where each step has an associated cost.

2. Determine Inputs and Outputs:

• Input: An array representing the cost of each step.

• Output: The minimum cost to reach the top of the staircase.

• Identify the Recurrence Relation: The cost to reach the top can be derived from the costs of the two previous steps.

• Implement the Solution: Use an iterative approach to build the solution bottom-up.

Key Points

• Clarity: Make sure to clearly define the problem and understand how costs can be accumulated.

• Dynamic Programming: Recognize that this is a typical problem for dynamic programming, where previous results can inform future calculations.

• Efficiency: Aim for an O(n) time complexity to ensure the solution is efficient for larger inputs.

Standard Response

Here’s a detailed implementation in Python that demonstrates how to calculate the minimum cost to reach the top of the staircase:

def min_cost_climbing_stairs(cost):
 # Initialize the first two steps
 if not cost:
 return 0
 n = len(cost)
 
 if n == 1:
 return cost[0]
 
 # Create an array to store the minimum cost to reach each step
 dp = [0] * (n + 1)
 
 # Base cases
 dp[0] = 0 # No cost to stand on the ground
 dp[1] = cost[0] # Cost to reach the first step
 
 # Build the dp array
 for i in range(2, n + 1):
 dp[i] = min(dp[i - 1] + cost[i - 1], dp[i - 2] + cost[i - 2])
 
 # The minimum cost to reach the top is stored in dp[n]
 return dp[n]

# Example usage:
cost = [10, 15, 20]
print(min_cost_climbing_stairs(cost)) # Output: 15

• We initialize a dynamic programming array dp where dp[i] represents the minimum cost to reach step i.

• We calculate the cost to reach each position based on the minimum of the two previous steps, incorporating the step cost.

• Finally, we return the cost to reach the top of the staircase.

• Explanation:

Tips & Variations

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Base Cases: Always handle the base cases before proceeding to the main logic.

• Misunderstanding Recurrence: Ensure that the recurrence relation is correctly derived to avoid off-by-one errors.

Alternative Ways to Answer

• Recursive Approach: While not as efficient, you could implement a recursive solution with memoization:

Role-Specific Variations

• Technical Roles: Focus on optimization and memory usage, showcasing an understanding of algorithm complexity.

• Managerial Roles: Emphasize your ability to break down complex problems into manageable parts and communicate this process clearly to your team.

• Creative Roles: Frame your solution in a way that highlights your innovative approach to problem-solving.

Follow-Up Questions

• Can you explain how you would optimize this further?

• What would you change in the algorithm if the costs could also be negative?

• How would you adapt this function for a variable number of steps?

This structured approach to answering the interview question not only demonstrates technical proficiency but also showcases your problem-solving skills, making you an attractive candidate for roles requiring algorithmic thinking