The Comprehensive Set of 90 DSA Patterns That Cover Virtually All Coding Interviews
Many candidates solve 200+ LeetCode challenges but still blank out during actual technical rounds.
Here’s the secret: most coding interviews don’t test unique problems — they reuse established logical templates.
Major companies prefer problem templates that measure reasoning, not rote memory.
Master these 90 essential DSA patterns, and you’ll instantly recognize nearly every coding problem you encounter.
What You’ll Learn
The guide maps all 90 DSA patterns into 15 logical families — the same framework elite engineers use to master FAANG interviews.
Learn how to train smarter through real-time AI-assisted exercises on Thita.ai.
Why Random LeetCode Grinding Doesn’t Work
Blindly solving hundreds of questions rarely helps you identify underlying algorithmic blueprints.
Think of patterns as templates you can reuse for any similar scenario.
For instance:
– Sorted array with a target ? Two Pointers (Converging)
– Find longest substring without repeats ? Sliding Window (Variable Size)
– Detect loop in linked list ? Fast & Slow Pointers.
Success in interviews comes from recognizing underlying DSA themes, not recalling exact problems.
The 15 Core DSA Pattern Families
Let’s dive into the core families that represent nearly every type of DSA problem.
1. Two Pointer Patterns (7 Patterns)
Use Case: Fast array or string traversal through pointer logic.
Examples: Converging pointers, expanding from center, and two-pointer string comparison.
? Hint: Look for sorted input or pairwise relationships between indices.
2. Sliding Window Patterns (4 Patterns)
Used to handle range-based optimizations in arrays and strings.
Common templates: expanding/shrinking windows and character frequency control.
? Pro Tip: Learn when to expand or contract your window efficiently.
3. Tree Traversal Patterns (7 Patterns)
Use Case: Binary and N-ary tree exploration including BFS, DFS, LCA, and serialization.
4. Graph Traversal Patterns (8 Patterns)
Use Case: Connectivity, pathfinding, and topology analysis.
5. Dynamic Programming Patterns (11 Patterns)
Use Case: Optimization with overlapping Product Management roadmap subproblems and state transitions.
6. Heap (Priority Queue) Patterns (4 Patterns)
Helps in scheduling and optimization tasks.
7. Backtracking Patterns (7 Patterns)
Powerful for constraint satisfaction and combinatorial logic.
8. Greedy Patterns (6 Patterns)
Great for problems solvable with stepwise optimization.
9. Binary Search Patterns (5 Patterns)
Used in range partitioning and target detection.
10. Stack Patterns (6 Patterns)
Great for parentheses matching, evaluation, and next greater element logic.
11. Bit Manipulation Patterns (5 Patterns)
Applied in optimization and binary arithmetic problems.
12. Linked List Patterns (5 Patterns)
Use Case: Efficient pointer-based data manipulation.
13. Array & Matrix Patterns (8 Patterns)
Focuses on efficient iteration over structured grids.
14. String Manipulation Patterns (7 Patterns)
Essential for problems involving text or symbol processing.
15. Design Patterns (Meta Category)
Applied in designing scalable and efficient systems.
How to Practice Effectively on Thita.ai
Understanding these 90 templates is the first step; applying them strategically ensures interview success.
Step 1: Open the DSA 90 Pattern Sheet ? Visit (http://thita.ai/dsa-patterns-sheet.
Select your pattern of choice and begin interactive exploration.
Solve questions while the AI gives contextual hints, code feedback, and performance tips.
Monitor your learning metrics via Thita.ai dashboards and analytics.
The Smart Way to Prepare
Most candidates waste effort on random problem-solving instead of structured pattern recognition.
Pattern-based learning through Thita.ai ensures faster growth and higher recall.
Why Choose Thita.ai?
Thita.ai helps you achieve interview mastery by offering:
– Comprehensive 90 DSA pattern training
– Real-time AI insights
– Mock interview simulations
– Tailored progress analytics
– Structured growth tracking.