Get Min Num Moves
Reported by candidates from Amazon's online assessment. Pattern, common pitfall, and the honest play if you blank under the timer.
You've got an Amazon OA in your inbox for February 2024, and "Get Min Num Moves" is on it. This is a classic optimization problem that looks deceptively simple at first. Most candidates blank on it because the problem statement is vague and the pattern isn't immediately obvious. StealthCoder will read the exact problem text during your OA and flag the core algorithmic trick in real time, so you won't waste time guessing whether it's a BFS, binary search, or greedy approach.
Pattern and pitfall
Without the full problem text, "Get Min Num Moves" typically falls into one of two categories: either you're finding the minimum moves to reach a target state (BFS/dynamic programming), or you're minimizing a cost function (greedy or math-based). The trick is almost always that a naive simulation or brute force will time out. Common pitfalls include misunderstanding the state space, failing to recognize that certain moves are redundant, or not realizing the problem has a closed-form mathematical solution. When you hit the OA, StealthCoder will parse the constraints and examples to tell you whether to reach for BFS, memoization, or pure math. That distinction saves 15-20 minutes of fumbling.
The honest play: practice the pattern, and have StealthCoder ready for the one you didn't see coming.
You can drill Get Min Num Moves cold, or you can hedge it. StealthCoder runs invisibly during screen share and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. The proctor sees the IDE. They don't see what's behind it. Built for the candidate who saw this exact problem leak two days before his OA and wondered if anyone had a play.
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Amazon reuses patterns across OAs. Built for the candidate who saw this exact problem leak two days before his OA and wondered if anyone had a play. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Get Min Num Moves FAQ
Is this a BFS or DP problem?+
Could be either. If the problem asks for the minimum number of moves in a state-space (like sliding puzzles or transformation sequences), it's BFS or DP. If it's purely mathematical (like reaching a number by addition/subtraction), it might be math or greedy. The problem text will clarify which.
What's the most common pitfall candidates hit?+
Simulating every single move without recognizing a pattern or closed-form solution. Amazon loves problems where brute force times out but a single insight (like recognizing that certain moves cancel out) collapses the solution to O(1) or O(log n).
How do I prepare for this in 24 hours?+
Review BFS from a queue perspective, brush up on how to represent state, and study one or two math-based min-move problems (like minimum steps to reach target). Don't memorize. Understand the pattern recognition.
Is this problem still being asked in 2024?+
Yes. February 2024 reports confirm it. Amazon rotates these optimization problems regularly. If you see it in an OA, treat it as a core algorithmic pattern, not a curveball.
What if I blank during the OA?+
That's where StealthCoder comes in. It reads the actual problem on screen, identifies the pattern, and feeds you the approach before you write a single line. No panic, no wasted time on wrong directions.