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 Elements in One Python List but Not Another
Return a new list containing only the elements from list A that are not present in list B, preserving duplicates and order.
def difference_elements(a, b):
"""Return elements present in list a but not in list b."""
set_b = set(b)
return [item for item in a if item not in set_b]
if __name__ == "__main__":
a = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 3, 2]
b = [2, 4, 6]
result = difference_elements(a, b)
print(f"A: {a}")
print(f"B: {b…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 Missing Number in Python Sequence 1 to N
Find the missing number from a list containing numbers 1 to N using the arithmetic sum formula.
def find_missing_number(nums, n):
expected_sum = n * (n + 1) // 2
actual_sum = sum(nums)
return expected_sum - actual_sum
if __name__ == "__main__":
n = 10
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10]
missing = find_missing_number(numbers, n)
print(f"The missing number is: {missing}")How to Find Minimum Swaps to Sort an Array in Python
Calculate the minimum number of adjacent-free swaps needed to sort a permutation array using cycle detection in Python.
def min_swaps_to_sort(arr):
n = len(arr)
arr_pos = sorted((val, idx) for idx, val in enumerate(arr))
visited = [False] * n
swaps = 0
for i in range(n):
if visited[i] or arr_pos[i][1] == i:
continue
cycle_size = 0
j = i
while not visited[j]:
…Implement a Stack Using List Push Pop in Python
A minimal Stack class built on a Python list, with push, pop, peek, is_empty, and size methods, including empty-stack guards.
class Stack:
def __init__(self):
self.items = []
def push(self, item):
self.items.append(item)
def pop(self):
if self.is_empty():
raise IndexError("pop from empty stack")
return self.items.pop()
def peek(self):
if self.is_empty():
raise…Move Zeroes to End in Python Maintaining Order
In-place algorithm that moves all zeroes to the end of a list while preserving the relative order of non-zero elements.
def move_zeroes(nums):
non_zero_index = 0
for i in range(len(nums)):
if nums[i] != 0:
nums[non_zero_index], nums[i] = nums[i], nums[non_zero_index]
non_zero_index += 1
return nums
if __name__ == "__main__":
example = [0, 1, 0, 3, 12]
result = move_zeroes(example)
…Rearrange array alternately max min in Python
Rearranges a sorted list so its elements alternate between the current maximum and current minimum using two pointers in O(n) time.
def rearrange_alternately(arr):
"""
Rearrange sorted array so elements alternate: max, min, next max, next min...
Returns a new list in O(n) time using O(n) space.
"""
n = len(arr)
result = []
left, right = 0, n - 1
while left <= right:
if left == right:
result.appen…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…Stable merge two lists by custom comparator in Python
Merge two lists into one sorted output using a custom comparator while maintaining the original order of equal elements.
from functools import cmp_to_key
def compare(x, y):
# Custom comparator: sorts by length first, then by original index for stability
if len(x) != len(y):
return len(x) - len(y)
return 0 # Equal keys preserve original order (stable)
def merge_stable(left, right, cmp_func):
result = []
i =…Browse by section
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