Get Min Operations
Reported by candidates from IBM's online assessment. Pattern, common pitfall, and the honest play if you blank under the timer.
IBM's "Get Min Operations" hit the OA circuit in May 2025, and candidates are blanking on what the problem actually wants. You've got an array or string, some operation defined implicitly or by example, and you need to find the minimum count to reach a goal state. The trick isn't the operation itself. It's recognizing whether this is a BFS shortest-path problem, a greedy reduction, or dynamic programming. StealthCoder reads the live problem and flags the pattern in seconds so you're not guessing under pressure.
Pattern and pitfall
Without the full problem text, the pattern could be several things, but "min operations" almost always signals shortest-path or state-space search. If you're reducing a number or transforming a string with allowed moves, BFS finds the true minimum. If the operations are greedy-friendly (like always dividing by the largest factor), a greedy approach works. If you need to explore overlapping subproblems, DP with memoization is the answer. The common trap: candidates code a greedy solution when the optimal path requires exploring multiple branches. On the live OA, when the problem statement lands, StealthCoder flags which approach applies so you don't waste 20 minutes down the wrong path.
Memorize the pattern. If you can't, run StealthCoder. The proctor sees the IDE. They don't see what's behind it.
You can drill Get Min Operations 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. Made by an engineer who treats the OA as theater. If yours is tonight, you don't have time to grind. You have time to hedge.
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IBM reuses patterns across OAs. Made by an engineer who treats the OA as theater. If yours is tonight, you don't have time to grind. You have time to hedge. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Get Min Operations FAQ
Is this a BFS problem or can I use greedy?+
If operations don't have a clear "always-better" strategy, it's BFS. If every operation moves you closer to the goal in the same way, greedy works. The problem statement will show examples. BFS is safer when in doubt because it guarantees the minimum.
What if the operation isn't explicitly stated?+
Look at the examples. They show the transformation. Common patterns: divide by factors, subtract a value, flip bits, remove substrings. The examples always reveal the allowed operations. Reverse-engineer from input to output.
How do I avoid TLE on a min operations problem?+
Use a visited set to avoid revisiting states. If it's DP, memoize. If it's BFS, cap the search space or prune obviously bad branches. IBM's OAs usually have tight constraints, so efficiency matters more than brute force.
Should I code this in Python or Java?+
Python's simpler syntax lets you code faster on the OA, but Java's stricter types catch bugs early. Pick whichever you're fastest in. IBM typically accepts both. Don't switch languages on test day.
What's the most common mistake on this type of problem?+
Assuming greedy without proof. Candidates see a local optimum and code it, then get wrong answer on hidden cases. Always trace your logic against the examples. If it feels too simple, it probably is.