Algorithms & data structures
Classic patterns — search, sort, stacks, queues, and practical complexity-aware code.
Find Longest Consecutive Sequence in Python
Find the length of the longest consecutive elements sequence in an unsorted array using a set for O(n) lookups.
def longest_consecutive_length(nums):
num_set = set(nums)
longest = 0
for num in num_set:
if num - 1 not in num_set:
current = num
current_streak = 1
while current + 1 in num_set:
current += 1
current_streak += 1
…
Find Missing Numbers, Duplicates, and Ranges in Python
Analyze a list to identify missing numbers, duplicate values, and contiguous ranges using sets and the Counter class.
def find_missing_duplicates_ranges(numbers):
"""Find missing numbers, duplicates, and ranges in a list."""
from collections import Counter
if not numbers:
return {"missing": [], "duplicates": [], "ranges": []}
full_range = set(range(min(numbers), max(numbers) + 1))
present = set(n…
How to Generate a Power Set in Python with Bitmasks
Generate the power set of a small list using a bitmask approach, producing all possible subsets.
def power_set(items):
"""Generate the power set of a list using bitmask approach."""
n = len(items)
result = []
for mask in range(1 << n):
subset = []
for i in range(n):
if mask & (1 << i):
subset.append(items[i])
result.append(subset)
r…
Implement Insert Delete GetRandom O(1) in Python
Build a RandomizedSet class that supports insert, delete, and get_random in average O(1) time using a list and a dictionary mapping values to indices.
import random
class RandomizedSet:
def __init__(self):
self.values = []
self.index_map = {}
def insert(self, val):
if val in self.index_map:
return False
self.index_map[val] = len(self.values)
self.values.append(val)
return True
def delete(self…
Set Matrix Zeroes in Python: Markers List Grid Demo
Given a matrix, this code finds all rows and columns that contain a zero and sets every element in those rows and columns to zero, using boolean marker arrays.
def set_zeroes(matrix):
rows, cols = len(matrix), len(matrix[0])
row_markers = [False] * rows
col_markers = [False] * cols
# First pass: record which rows and columns contain zeros
for i in range(rows):
for j in range(cols):
if matrix[i][j] == 0:
row_markers[i] …
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