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
Inside this guide, we organize 90 DSA templates into 15 essential families used by elite programmers.
You’ll be guided on how to practice these patterns dynamically through AI-driven hints and feedback on Thita.ai.
Why Random LeetCode Grinding Doesn’t Work
Random problem-solving builds quantity, not recognition — and interviews reward recognition.
Once recognized, a pattern turns complex problems into familiar exercises.
Example mappings include:
– Sorted Array + Target Sum ? Two Pointers (Converging)
– Longest Substring Without Repeats ? Sliding Window (Variable Size)
– Cycle in Linked List ? Fast & Slow Pointers.
Those who excel identify the pattern first and adapt instantly.
The 15 Core DSA Pattern Families
Each category groups related concepts that repeatedly surface in coding interviews.
1. Two Pointer Patterns (7 Patterns)
Use Case: Fast array or string traversal through pointer logic.
Key Patterns: Converging pointers, Fast & Slow pointers, Fixed separation, In-place modification, Expand from center, String reversal, and Backspace comparison.
? Pro Tip: Check if the data is sorted or relationships exist between index pairs.
2. Sliding Window Patterns (4 Patterns)
Use Case: Optimize subarray or substring challenges dynamically.
Focuses on dynamically resizing sequences to meet constraints.
? Insight: Timing your window adjustments correctly boosts performance.
3. Tree Traversal Patterns (7 Patterns)
Used for recursive and iterative traversals across hierarchical structures.
4. Graph Traversal Patterns (8 Patterns)
Use Case: Connectivity, pathfinding, and topology analysis.
5. Dynamic Programming Patterns (11 Patterns)
Central to solving resource allocation and sequence-based problems efficiently.
6. Heap (Priority Queue) Patterns (4 Patterns)
Used for stream processing and efficient order maintenance.
7. Backtracking Patterns (7 Patterns)
Use Case: Recursive search and exhaustive solution exploration.
8. Greedy Patterns (6 Patterns)
Great for problems AI resume analyzer solvable with stepwise optimization.
9. Binary Search Patterns (5 Patterns)
Use Case: Efficient searching over sorted data or answer ranges.
10. Stack Patterns (6 Patterns)
Use Case: LIFO operations, expression parsing, and monotonic stacks.
11. Bit Manipulation Patterns (5 Patterns)
Crucial for low-level data operations.
12. Linked List Patterns (5 Patterns)
Focuses on optimizing node traversal and transformation.
13. Array & Matrix Patterns (8 Patterns)
Applied in image processing, pathfinding, and transformation tasks.
14. String Manipulation Patterns (7 Patterns)
Used for matching, substring searches, and string reconstruction.
15. Design Patterns (Meta Category)
Use Case: Data structure and system design logic.
How to Practice Effectively on Thita.ai
The real edge lies in applying these patterns effectively through guided AI coaching.
Access the DSA 90 framework sheet to visualize all pattern families.
Next, select any pattern and explore associated real-world problems.
Step 3: Solve with AI Coaching ? Receive real-time hints, feedback, and explanations.
Get personalized progress tracking and adaptive recommendations.
The Smart Way to Prepare
Stop random practice; focus on mastering logic templates instead.
Use Thita.ai’s roadmap to learn, practice, and refine through intelligent feedback.
Why Choose Thita.ai?
Thita.ai empowers learners to:
– Master 90 reusable DSA patterns
– Practice interactively with AI feedback
– Experience realistic mock interviews
– Prepare for FAANG and top-tier interviews
– Build a personalized, AI-guided learning path.