> There is an entire industry built around tech interview prep now (books, websites, practice/mock interviews). Many would defend this practice because their paycheck directly depends on it.
Or you know... an algorithm and data structures class that's part of a serious Engineering/CS curriculum.
That's enough for passing familiarity with what the algorithms are / pointers to reference material when appropriate. Not nearly enough to perform on command from memory in 20-40 minutes.
At the end of Princeton's Algorithms I-II on Coursera you've done fewer than 20 implementations, and those were open-book assignments with week-long deadlines.
A reasonable interview prep cycle would be closer to 200 practice problems, under time pressure.
Or you know... an algorithm and data structures class that's part of a serious Engineering/CS curriculum.