Algorithms & data structures
Classic patterns — search, sort, stacks, queues, and practical complexity-aware code.
Container With Most Water: Two-Pointer Solution in Python
Find the maximum water a container can hold from a list of heights using an efficient two-pointer technique in O(n) time.
from typing import List
def max_water_container(heights: List[int]) -> int:
left, right = 0, len(heights) - 1
max_area = 0
while left < right:
width = right - left
height = min(heights[left], heights[right])
area = width * height
max_area = max(max_area, area)
…How to Solve the Trapping Rain Water Problem in Python
Compute the total water trapped between elevation bars using a two-pointer O(n) algorithm.
def trap(height):
if not height:
return 0
left, right = 0, len(height) - 1
left_max, right_max = 0, 0
water = 0
while left < right:
if height[left] < height[right]:
if height[left] >= left_max:
left_max = height[left]
else:
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