Generally you end up doing a review of relevant literature and a few days/weeks/months of research and development. I'm not sure answering a question under pressure that has just been asked is that relevant to making ground in new areas of research.
The point is that solving problems, either by inventing new computer science, or more likely formulating a hybrid of known algorithms requires some semblance of problem solving.
A genuine interviewer (and I realize several/many may not be genuine) is solely trying to figure out if the candidate has these types of reasoning skills.
Let me phrase it this way: By asking a common CS question, you'll get people who simply memorize answers/algorithms. By asking something obscure that is rarely known, you can try to get a glimpse into someone's thought process, which is infinitely more valuable than rote memorization.
meheleventyone|9 years ago
rnovak|9 years ago
A genuine interviewer (and I realize several/many may not be genuine) is solely trying to figure out if the candidate has these types of reasoning skills.
Let me phrase it this way: By asking a common CS question, you'll get people who simply memorize answers/algorithms. By asking something obscure that is rarely known, you can try to get a glimpse into someone's thought process, which is infinitely more valuable than rote memorization.