How do you generate all permutations of an array?

Updated Apr 28, 2026

Short answer

Use backtracking with visited tracking.

Deep explanation

At each step, pick an unused element and recurse until all elements are used.

Real-world example

Generating all orderings of tasks.

Common mistakes

  • Not using visited array.

Follow-up questions

  • Complexity?
  • Why visited?

More Backtracking interview questions

View all →