GAP Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for GAP Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right GAP talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

GAP is a computer software programing language used in mathematics. It was developed in the early 1980s at the University of Cambridge by Robin Chapman and John Cannon. GAP is free and open-source software, and it is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is used by mathematicians around the world to study a wide variety of problems in algebra, geometry, and number theory.

First 20 minutes

General GAP knowledge and experience

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

How would you define a function in GAP?

In GAP, you can define a function using the 'function' keyword, followed by a list of parameters in parentheses, and then the function body enclosed in 'end'.

What is the purpose of the 'Size' function in GAP?

The 'Size' function in GAP is used to determine the size of a group, list, or other collection of elements.

How would you create a list in GAP?

You can create a list in GAP using square brackets. For example, '[1, 2, 3]' creates a list of integers.

What are the basic data types in GAP?

The basic data types in GAP include integers, rationals, cyclotomics, booleans, lists, records, and functions.

How would you install GAP on a Linux system?

You can install GAP on a Linux system by downloading the source code from the official GAP website, extracting the archive, and then compiling the source code using the 'configure' and 'make' commands.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of algorithms and data structures?

Knowledge of algorithms and data structures is essential for efficient coding and optimization in GAP development.

Has the candidate provided examples of past projects or experiences that demonstrate their competency in GAP?

Past experience and projects can provide concrete evidence of the candidate's ability and expertise in GAP development.

Does the candidate show a willingness to learn and adapt?

The field of software development is constantly evolving, so it's important for a developer to be adaptable and eager to learn new technologies.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Good communication skills are necessary for understanding project requirements and collaborating with team members.

Has the candidate demonstrated a good understanding of GAP language and its applications?

A strong grasp of GAP language is fundamental to perform well in the role.

Does the candidate possess strong problem-solving skills?

This is crucial as a GAP developer often needs to solve complex coding issues and develop innovative solutions.

Next 20 minutes

Specific GAP development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

How would you use GAP to solve a system of linear equations?

You can use the 'Solution' function in GAP to solve a system of linear equations. The function takes two arguments: a matrix representing the coefficients of the equations, and a list representing the right-hand side of the equations.

What is the role of the 'IsElement' function in GAP?

The 'IsElement' function in GAP is used to determine whether a given object is an element of a specified collection, such as a group or a list.

How would you use GAP to compute the order of a permutation group?

You can compute the order of a permutation group in GAP using the 'Size' function. For example, 'Size(Group((1,2,3), (4,5)))' would return the order of the permutation group generated by the permutations (1,2,3) and (4,5).

Describe the difference between a list and a set in GAP.

In GAP, a list is an ordered collection of elements, while a set is an unordered collection of unique elements. Lists can contain duplicate elements and their order matters, while in sets, order does not matter and duplicates are not allowed.

What are the key features of GAP as a computational algebra system?

Key features of GAP include its ability to perform computations in algebraic structures, its extensive library of algebraic algorithms, and its support for programming and scripting.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the GAP engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled GAP engineer should demonstrate strong technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and excellent communication skills. Red flags include a lack of detail in responses, inability to articulate complex concepts, or an absence of practical experience with GAP engineering tools and methodologies.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with GAP.

What does the following GAP code do?

gap> List([1..10], x -> x^2);

This code generates a list of squares of the numbers from 1 to 10.

What will be the output of the following GAP code?

gap> Size(SymmetricGroup(4));

This code returns the size of the symmetric group of order 4, which is 24.

What does the following GAP code do?

gap> List([1..10], IsPrime);

This code checks if each number from 1 to 10 is a prime number and returns a list of boolean values.

What does the following GAP code do?

gap> ParallelIterator([1..10], x -> x^2);

This code creates a parallel iterator that computes the squares of the numbers from 1 to 10 in parallel.

What does the following GAP code do?

gap> c := CharacterTable(Group((1,2,3,4,5)));
gap> Display(c);

This code creates a character table for the cyclic group of order 5 and displays it.

What will be the output of the following GAP code?

gap> G := Group((1,2,3), (1,2));
gap> Order(G);

This code creates a group G generated by the permutations (1,2,3) and (1,2) and returns the order of the group, which is 6.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for GAP role questions

The final few interview questions for a GAP candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

How would you use GAP to compute the automorphism group of a given group?

You can use the 'AutomorphismGroup' function in GAP to compute the automorphism group of a given group. The function takes one argument, the group, and it returns the group of all automorphisms of the given group.

Describe the difference between the 'StructureDescription' and 'IdGroup' functions in GAP.

'StructureDescription' returns a string describing the structure of a finite group in terms of known simple groups, while 'IdGroup' returns a pair of integers that uniquely identify a given finite group up to isomorphism.

What are the main steps to write and run a GAP script?

To write and run a GAP script, you first create a text file with the '.g' extension, write your GAP code in this file, and then run the script using the 'gap' command followed by the name of the script file.

How would you use GAP to compute the centralizer of an element in a group?

You can use the 'Centralizer' function in GAP to compute the centralizer of an element in a group. The function takes two arguments: the group and the element, and it returns the set of all elements in the group that commute with the given element.

Describe the difference between the 'IsSubset' and 'IsSubgroup' functions in GAP.

'IsSubset' checks if a collection of elements is a subset of another collection, while 'IsSubgroup' checks if a group is a subgroup of another group. The difference lies in the structure being considered: 'IsSubset' works with any collections, while 'IsSubgroup' specifically works with group structures.

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GAP application related

Product Perfect's GAP development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your GAP engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in GAP projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.