Algorithms & data structures
Classic patterns — search, sort, stacks, queues, and practical complexity-aware code.
Binary Search for Ship Capacity in Python
Use binary search to find the minimum ship capacity that can transport all packages within a given number of days.
def ship_within_days(weights, days):
def can_ship(capacity):
current = 0
needed_days = 1
for weight in weights:
if current + weight > capacity:
needed_days += 1
current = 0
current += weight
return needed_days <= days
low …Binary Search on Answer in Python: Koko Eating Bananas
Find the minimum eating speed so Koko finishes all banana piles within a given hour limit using binary search on the answer.
import math
def min_eating_speed(piles, h):
"""Return minimum integer eating speed K so Koko finishes within h hours."""
def hours_needed(speed):
return sum(math.ceil(p / speed) for p in piles)
low, high = 1, max(piles)
while low < high:
mid = (low + high) // 2
if hours_needed…Find Minimum in Rotated Sorted List in Python
Uses binary search to find the minimum element in a rotated sorted list in O(log n) time.
def find_min(nums):
left, right = 0, len(nums) - 1
while left < right:
mid = (left + right) // 2
if nums[mid] > nums[right]:
left = mid + 1
else:
right = mid
return nums[left]
if __name__ == "__main__":
rotated = [4, 5, 6, 7, 0, 1, 2]
print(f"Minimu…Find Peak Element in Python Using Binary Search
A binary search solution that finds any peak element (an element strictly greater than its neighbors) in an unsorted array in O(log n) time.
def find_peak_element(nums):
left, right = 0, len(nums) - 1
while left < right:
mid = (left + right) // 2
if nums[mid] > nums[mid + 1]:
right = mid
else:
left = mid + 1
return left
if __name__ == "__main__":
test1 = [1, 2, 3, 1]
tes…How to Search a Rotated Sorted List in Python
Binary search a pivot-rotated sorted list for a target value and return its index in O(log n) time.
from typing import List
def search_rotated(nums: List[int], target: int) -> int:
left, right = 0, len(nums) - 1
while left <= right:
mid = (left + right) // 2
if nums[mid] == target:
return mid
# left half is sorted
if nums[left] <= nums[mid]:
if nums[…Split Array Largest Sum in Python (Minimize Largest Subarray Sum)
Binary search + greedy check to split an array into k subarrays while minimizing the largest subarray sum.
def can_split(nums, k, max_sum):
subarrays = 1
current_sum = 0
for num in nums:
if current_sum + num <= max_sum:
current_sum += num
else:
subarrays += 1
current_sum = num
if subarrays > k:
return False
return True
def spli…Browse by section
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Algorithms & data structures — Python code examples
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This page collects algorithms & data structures snippets — short, copy-ready Python you can paste into our free online IDE and run without installing anything. Each sample includes a plain-English explanation and the full source code.
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