> The tough questions were “dead key problems”. How do you write the following program, if the following keys are broken?
I've never heard of this style of programming question. It's fascinating that we've gone through so many styles of interview over the decades, from pair programming against unit tests to Google-style whiteboard algorithms to early-2000s Microsoft-style brain teasers and "why are manhole covers round".
It's very APL specific. Keys were APL symbols, operators in one keystroke. So if the sum key wasn't available, you'd decode base 1. That sort of thing...
I've never heard of this style of programming question. It's fascinating that we've gone through so many styles of interview over the decades, from pair programming against unit tests to Google-style whiteboard algorithms to early-2000s Microsoft-style brain teasers and "why are manhole covers round".