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Today we will cover:

• Kth Smallest Element in a BST

• API Gateway Design

Read time: under 4 minutes

CODING CHALLENGE

Kth Smallest Element in a BST

Given the root of a binary search tree, and an integer k, return the k-th smallest value (1-indexed) of all the values of the nodes in the tree.

Example 1:

Input: root = [3,1,4,null,2], k = 1
Output: 1

Example 2:

Input: root = [5,3,6,2,4,null,null,1], k = 3
Output: 3

Solve the problem here before reading the solution.

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SOLUTION

To find the k-th smallest element in a BST, we can perform an inorder traversal.

Since inorder traversal of a BST visits nodes in ascending order, we just need to keep track of how many nodes we have visited.

We'll use an iterative approach with a stack to perform the inorder traversal. This avoids recursion stack overflow for very deep trees.

When we've visited k nodes, we'll have found our answer. This approach is efficient since we only need to traverse until we find the k-th element, not the entire tree.

The time complexity is O(H + k) where H is the height of the tree. In the worst case when k is large, it becomes O(N).

SYSTEM DESIGN

API Gateway Design

When you're building a system with multiple microservices, letting clients communicate directly with each service creates many problems. Clients need to know about all services, handle different protocols, and deal with authentication multiple times. An API Gateway solves these problems by acting as a single entry point for all client requests.

Here's how an API Gateway helps:

Authentication & Authorization

Instead of implementing security in each microservice, the API Gateway handles it centrally. When a request comes in, the gateway first checks if the user is allowed to access the service. This means your microservices can focus on their core functionality rather than dealing with security.

Request Routing

The gateway knows where each service lives and forwards requests to the right place. If you move a service to a different server, you only need to update the gateway's routing configuration. Clients don't need to know or care about these changes.

Request/Response Transformation

Different clients (mobile apps, web browsers, IoT devices) might need data in different formats. The API Gateway can transform requests and responses to match what each client expects. For example, a mobile app might need a lightweight response while a web app needs more detailed data.

Rate Limiting

To protect your services from being overwhelmed, the gateway can limit how many requests each client can make. This prevents any single client from using too many resources and keeps your system stable.

Monitoring & Analytics

Since all requests go through the gateway, it's the perfect place to collect metrics about API usage. You can track things like response times, error rates, and popular endpoints without adding code to your services.

Best Practices:

1. Keep the gateway simple - avoid adding business logic

2. Use caching for frequently requested data

3. Implement circuit breakers to handle service failures gracefully

4. Monitor gateway performance closely

5. Plan for scaling - the gateway can become a bottleneck

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NEWS

This Week in the Tech World

Sergey Brin suggests 60-hour workweek: Google co-founder Sergey Brin told AI-focused employees that 60 hours a week is the "sweet spot" for productivity. Workplace experts disagree, warning that long hours can reduce efficiency and lead to burnout.

Alibaba unveils AI rival to DeepSeek: Alibaba introduced QwQ-32B, an AI model designed for advanced reasoning, claiming it rivals DeepSeek-R1. With a focus on efficiency, the model highlights China's growing competition in AI, which could reshape the global AI landscape.

AI cheating in job interviews: A Columbia student launched Interview Coder, an AI tool that helps programmers cheat in virtual job interviews. The rise of AI-assisted cheating has frustrated hiring managers, pushing Google and other tech firms to reconsider in-person interviews to ensure fair hiring practices.

Apple delays Siri AI upgrade: Apple has postponed its AI-powered Siri improvements to 2026. The update was meant to make Siri smarter and more integrated across apps, but delays put Apple behind OpenAI, Amazon, and Google in the race for next-gen AI assistants.

Meta’s secret ‘do not rehire’ list: A report claims Meta maintains a secret list barring certain former employees from rehire, even those with strong performance records. Some ex-workers discovered they were flagged after applying for jobs, but Meta insists hiring policies are fairly enforced.

Health-tech startup Freed raises $30M: Freed, a startup using AI to automate medical documentation, secured $30M in funding led by Sequoia. The AI scribe reduces paperwork for doctors, addressing burnout and improving patient focus. Over 17,000 clinicians now use Freed in 2M+ patient visits monthly.

Palantir delivers AI systems to U.S. Army: Palantir has delivered its first AI-powered TITAN systems to the U.S. Army under a $178M contract. The mobile AI units collect battlefield intelligence from space sensors to improve targeting and decision-making, marking a shift in military technology.

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