LeetCode 3069: Distribute Elements Into Two Arrays I

Meta Data

#

Difficulty: easy First Attempt: 2024-03-03

• Submissions: Accepted (first try)

Approach

#

Simulate the rule directly (Array Template 5): arr1 = [nums[0]], arr2 = [nums[1]], then each number goes by arr1[-1] > arr2[-1], and the two are joined at the end.

My Solution

#

class Solution:
    def resultArray(self, nums: List[int]) -> List[int]:
        a, b = [nums[0]], [nums[1]]
        for x in nums[2:]:
            (a if a[-1] > b[-1] else b).append(x)
        return a + b

Complexity

#

Time O(n), space O(n).

Mistakes to Avoid

#

• Compare the arrays’ last elements, not their sums.

Interview Explanation

#

I simulate the rule, appending each number to the array whose last element is larger, and join them at the end. Time O(n).