Akuna Capital Quant Strategist Interview Questions
Quantitative finance interviews, especially for roles like Quant Strategist at top firms such as Akuna Capital, often feature problem-solving questions rooted in computer science and mathematics. One such classic is the "House Robber" dynamic programming problem, which tests not only algorithmic thinking but also the ability to adapt familiar paradigms to new variants. In this article, we’ll tackle a nuanced variant of the House Robber problem—specifically, a version where you’re reviewing movies, and you cannot skip more than one movie in a row. We'll unpack the nuances, solve the problem using dynamic programming, and explain every concept in detail to prepare you for high-level quant interviews.
Imagine you're a movie critic planning to review a lineup of movies. Each movie has a certain "enjoyment value." However, you cannot review two directly adjacent movies (to avoid fatigue and ensure quality), but you also cannot skip more than one movie in a row (to keep your portfolio relevant). The goal is to select movies to maximize the total enjoyment value under these constraints.
The classic House Robber problem is defined as:
