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Python Coding Challenges

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925 challenges 556 easy 323 medium 46 hard
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Spiral Matrix Order

Given a 2D matrix, return all elements in clockwise spiral order starting from the top-left.

matrix spiral traversal
+25 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Number of Islands

Given a 2D grid of '1' (land) and '0' (water), count the number of islands surrounded by water.

matrix graph bfs
+25 pts 30m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Max Area of Island

Given a 2D grid of 0s and 1s, find the maximum area of a connected group of 1s.

grid dfs connected-components
+20 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

01 Matrix Nearest Zero

Given a binary matrix, return a matrix of the same shape where each cell contains the Manhattan distance to the nearest 0.

matrix bfs distance
+25 pts 30m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Spiral Matrix Traversal

Implement a function that returns the elements of a 2D matrix in clockwise spiral order.

matrix traversal simulation
+20 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Search a 2D Matrix II

Implement an efficient search for a target in a matrix where each row and each column is sorted in ascending order.

matrix binary-search search
+20 pts 20m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Number of Islands in a Matrix

Count the number of distinct islands (connected groups of 1s) in a 2D binary matrix.

matrix dfs bfs
+20 pts 20m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Shortest Path in Binary Matrix

Compute the shortest path length from top-left to bottom-right in a binary matrix using 8-directional moves.

matrix bfs shortest-path
+30 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Count square submatrices with all ones

Count all square submatrices consisting entirely of 1s in a binary matrix.

matrix dynamic-programming counting
+25 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Largest Plus Sign

Compute the largest possible plus sign of 1s in an n x n grid with some cells set to 0.

matrix dynamic-programming simulation
+25 pts 30m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Matrix Block Sum

Given a 2D matrix and a block size, compute the sum of each block centered at every cell.

matrix prefix-sum 2d-array
+25 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Rotate Matrix Layers

Given a square matrix, rotate each concentric layer 90 degrees clockwise.

matrix rotation in-place
+25 pts 30m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Word Search Matrix

Given a 2D board and a word, determine if the word can be formed by sequentially adjacent cells (horizontally or vertically), without reusing cells.

matrix dfs strings
+25 pts 30m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Pacific Atlantic Flow

Given a height matrix, return all cells from which water can flow to both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

matrix bfs grid
+25 pts 25m
Matrix & 2D Arrays medium

Pacific Atlantic Matrix DFS

Given a matrix of heights, return cells that can reach both Pacific and Atlantic oceans using a DFS approach.

dfs matrix traversal
+20 pts 20m

Showing 1–15 of 15 challenges · medium · Matrix & 2D Arrays

Matrix & 2D Arrays — Python coding challenges

What you will find here

This page lists matrix & 2d arrays challenges — real Python problems you solve in the browser IDE with instant test feedback. Each challenge includes a clear brief, starter code, and automated checks.

Challenges vs tutorials and quizzes

Challenges test what you can build under constraints. For guided teaching, use our Python tutorials. For quick checks, try quizzes or copy snippets from code samples.