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How would you model hierarchical data in a relational database?

General/Otherhard0.5 min readPremium
Frequency
Low
Asked at 1 company
Category
243
questions in General/Other
Difficulty Split
151E|43M|49H
in this category
Total Bank
1,863
across 7 categories
Asked at these companies
Goldman Sachs
Key Concepts Tested
etlsql
Expert AnswerPremium
100 wordsInterview-ready
Choose model based on read/write patterns and depth. WHY: Hierarchy queries (ancestors, descendants, paths) vary in cost across models. OPTIONS: (1) Adjacency list (parent_id)—simple, recursive CTEs; expensive for deep trees. (2) Path enumeration (/1/2/5/)—fast reads, costly updates. (3) Closure table (ancestor, descendant, depth)—excellent read-heavy; extra storage. (4) Nested sets—complex updates....
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