Coding Challenge Spotlight: Same Diagonal Stripe Matrix

Recently, I solved a Python-based coding problem published on DataLemur by Nick Singh 📕🐒 — and it was a really interesting one!

Problem

You're given an m x n matrix. Return True if every descending diagonal contains the same number (aka "stripe"). Otherwise, return False.

Python Solution

def has_same_diagonal_stripes(matrix): 
    if not matrix or not matrix[0]: 
        return True 
    m, n = len(matrix), len(matrix[0]) 
    for col in range(n): 
        val = matrix[0][col] 
        i, j = 0, col 
        while i < m and j < n: 
            if matrix[i][j] != val: 
               return False 
            i += 1 
            j += 1 
    for row in range(1, m): 
        val = matrix[row][0] 
        i, j = row, 0 
        while i < m and j < n: 
            if matrix[i][j] != val: 
               return False 
            i += 1
            j += 1 
   return True        

Why I Liked This Problem:

It’s deceptively simple but requires careful handling of matrix traversal logic.

You explore 2D arrays, edge cases (like empty matrices), and how to process diagonals efficiently.

Great for anyone preparing for data science or software engineering interviews.

Big thanks to Nick Singh 📕🐒 for consistently sharing awesome challenges on DataLemur that make Python learning practical and fun!

If you enjoyed this challenge, try solving it yourself and share your solution! I’d love to see how others approach it.