D. E. Shaw Research Research Scientist Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 5 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at D. E. Shaw Research.
D. E. Shaw Research
Research Scientist Intern
Intern Average Positive experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
The interviewer started by talking about ongoing projects at the company. Then, we moved on to discussing the research work I've done previously. It was pretty technical, but there was no live coding involved.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Could you elaborate on your involvement in the ... project?
- What was your role and contribution to this particular project, especially concerning academic aspects?
D. E. Shaw Research
Research Scientist
Mid Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Phone screen Phone screen
Interview formats
Technical Technical
I had two phone interviews. The first one was about my recent works and publications. The second interviewer asked me several questions on stochastic process theory and programming.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you discuss your recent works and publications?
- Explain the spectral properties of transition matrices, particularly concerning the Perron-Frobenius theorem.
- Can you answer some questions on stochastic process theory and programming?
D. E. Shaw Research
Research Scientist
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite Presentation Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Coding Behavioral Presentation
I had a great interview experience overall. It started with a one-hour phone interview where we covered a wide range of topics including mathematical optimization, machine learning, and programming (dynamic programming, plus questions about NumPy/SciPy performance), and differential equations. About four weeks later, I was invited for an onsite interview at the DESRES headquarters in NY. I really enjoyed meeting everyone there; they all seemed incredibly bright. The interview itself went pretty well. They asked about my research, game theory, probability theory, and I had to solve some basic optimization problems for ML (like LLS). I struggled a bit with some programming and bit manipulation questions, probably due to nerves, but the interviewer was very helpful and nice, guiding me to the solution. Afterwards, they showed me around the office and the Anton 2 machine in the fishbowl. The entire process took about 4-5 hours, maybe a bit less.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Could you devise a matrix equation or algorithm to predict outputs for a complex system given input-output examples, when you know nothing about how the system works?
- If the weights derived from the previous problem are too sensitive to certain parameters and are larger than desired, how could you modify the approach to ensure the average weight is approximately g?
- Tell me about your research and the presentation you gave.
D. E. Shaw Research Research Scientist Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from D. E. Shaw Research interview reports.
“What temperature is the sun?”
Read reports →“Explain the spectral properties of transition matrices, particularly concerning the Perron-Frobenius theorem.”
Read reports →“What are the methods for obtaining free energy from denaturation curves?”
Read reports →“If the weights derived from the previous problem are too sensitive to certain parameters and are larger than desired, how could you modify the approach to ensure the average weight is approximately g?”
Read reports →“Can you explain the behavior of water in bulk compared to its behavior within protein cavities and channels?”
Read report →“Could you devise a matrix equation or algorithm to predict outputs for a complex system given input-output examples, when you know nothing about how the system works?”
Read report →“Can you answer some questions on stochastic process theory and programming?”
Read report →“Tell me about your research and the presentation you gave.”
Read report →“Can you discuss your recent works and publications?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 5 D. E. Shaw Research interview reports.