Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn
A medium-tier problem at 46% community acceptance, tagged with Array, Dynamic Programming, Matrix. Reported in interviews at DE Shaw and 0 others.
You're looking at a medium-difficulty DP problem that DE Shaw has actually asked. The setup sounds simple: a tourist moves through a matrix and collects points. But the trick is figuring out the state definition and transition. Most candidates start with a straightforward greedy or single-pass approach and hit a wall when the optimal path requires backtracking logic or multi-dimensional state. With a 46% acceptance rate, this isn't a gimme. If this problem shows up in your live OA and you freeze on the DP formulation, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor.
Companies that ask "Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn"
Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn is the kind of problem that decides whether you pass. StealthCoder reads the problem on screen and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Invisible to screen share. The proctor sees nothing. Built by an Amazon engineer who realized the OA tests how well you memorized 200 problems, not how well you code.
Get StealthCoderThe core pattern here is a constrained path problem on a matrix where you can't just pick the max at each step. The trick is recognizing that you need DP with state (row, column, moves_or_steps) to track not just position but how you got there. Common fail: treating it like a single-path max problem when it's really about exploring multiple valid routes and picking the best overall. Another trap: forgetting boundary conditions or mixing up whether you can revisit cells. The DP table usually collapses into a 2D recurrence if you're clever about state compression. If you haven't drilled this exact pattern before and it pops on your assessment, StealthCoder handles the state design and recurrence in real time.
Pattern tags
You know the problem.
Make sure you actually pass it.
Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn recycles across companies for a reason. It's medium-tier, and most candidates blank under the timer. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay invisible during screen share. It reads the problem and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Built by an Amazon engineer who realized the OA tests how well you memorized 200 problems, not how well you code. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn interview FAQ
What makes this a DP problem and not greedy?+
At each cell, the greedy choice isn't globally optimal. You often need to explore subpaths where you take fewer points now to position yourself for bigger gains later. DP explores all valid paths and memoizes the best outcome from each state.
Is this still asked at companies like DE Shaw?+
Yes. DE Shaw has reportedly asked this. It's a medium-difficulty problem that tests both DP design and matrix traversal logic, which are core to quant and backend interviews there.
What's the hardest part most candidates miss?+
Defining the state correctly. Many candidates try 2D DP (row, col) when they actually need a third dimension for path information or step count. Getting that wrong breaks the entire recurrence.
How do I know if I need top-down or bottom-up DP?+
Both work. Top-down (memoization) is easier to code during an OA under time pressure because you write the recurrence as you think it. Bottom-up requires careful iteration order. Pick what you're faster at.
Can I revisit cells, and does that change the DP?+
Depends on the exact problem statement. If revisits are allowed, your state must include step or move count to avoid infinite loops. That usually means a 3D table or hashmap memoization.
Want the actual problem statement? View "Maximum Points Tourist Can Earn" on LeetCode →