Yes, and there's plenty of times in my work where I've put algorithms to good use.
But out of all those algorithms how many could you regurgitate onto a whiteboard given 5 minutes to do so?
Knowing the use of each algorithm is good enough. You don't need to know the implementation until you want to use it. And nowhere in your day to day work is this going to be with no internet access or reference.
So why do interviewers suggest this is the case? Why aren't they just happy with you describing how a Merkle Tree can solve a particular issue. Why do you need to write that down?
But out of all those algorithms how many could you regurgitate onto a whiteboard given 5 minutes to do so?
Knowing the use of each algorithm is good enough. You don't need to know the implementation until you want to use it. And nowhere in your day to day work is this going to be with no internet access or reference.
So why do interviewers suggest this is the case? Why aren't they just happy with you describing how a Merkle Tree can solve a particular issue. Why do you need to write that down?