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14. K-way Merge

Problem 1: Merge k Sorted Lists (Leetcode:23)

Problem Statement

You are given an array of k linked-lists lists, each linked-list is sorted in ascending order.

Merge all the linked-lists into one sorted linked-list and return it.

Example 1:

Input: lists = [[1,4,5],[1,3,4],[2,6]]
Output: [1,1,2,3,4,4,5,6]
Explanation: The linked-lists are:
[
1->4->5,
1->3->4,
2->6
]
merging them into one sorted linked list:
1->1->2->3->4->4->5->6

Example 2:

Input: lists = []
Output: []

Example 3:

Input: lists = [[]]
Output: []

Constraints:

  • k == lists.length
  • 0 <= k <= 104
  • 0 <= lists[i].length <= 500
  • -104 <= lists[i][j] <= 104
  • lists[i] is sorted in ascending order.
  • The sum of lists[i].length will not exceed 104.
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
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Explaination:
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Problem 2: Median of Two Sorted Arrays (Leetcode:4)

Problem Statement

Given two sorted arrays nums1 and nums2 of size m and n respectively, return the median of the two sorted arrays.

The overall run time complexity should be O(log (m+n)).

Example 1:

Input: nums1 = [1,3], nums2 = [2]
Output: 2.00000
Explanation: merged array = [1,2,3] and median is 2.

Example 2:

Input: nums1 = [1,2], nums2 = [3,4]
Output: 2.50000
Explanation: merged array = [1,2,3,4] and median is (2 + 3) / 2 = 2.5.

Constraints:

  • nums1.length == m
  • nums2.length == n
  • 0 <= m <= 1000
  • 0 <= n <= 1000
  • 1 <= m + n <= 2000
  • -106 <= nums1[i], nums2[i] <= 106
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
This is first approach


Explaination:
This is second approach

Problem 3: Kth Smallest Element in a Sorted Matrix (Leetcode:378)

Problem Statement

Given an n x n matrix where each of the rows and columns is sorted in ascending order, return the kth smallest element in the matrix.

Note that it is the kth smallest element in the sorted order, not the kth distinct element.

You must find a solution with a memory complexity better than O(n2).

Example 1:

Input: matrix = [[1,5,9],[10,11,13],[12,13,15]], k = 8
Output: 13
Explanation: The elements in the matrix are [1,5,9,10,11,12,13,13,15], and the 8th smallest number is 13

Example 2:

Input: matrix = [[-5]], k = 1
Output: -5

Constraints:

  • n == matrix.length == matrix[i].length
  • 1 <= n <= 300
  • -109 <= matrix[i][j] <= 109
  • All the rows and columns of matrix are guaranteed to be sorted in non-decreasing order.
  • 1 <= k <= n2

Follow up:

  • Could you solve the problem with a constant memory (i.e., O(1) memory complexity)?
  • Could you solve the problem in O(n) time complexity? The solution may be too advanced for an interview but you may find reading this paper fun.
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
This is first approach


Explaination:
This is second approach

Problem 4: Smallest Range Covering Elements from K Lists (Leetcode:632)

Problem Statement

You have k lists of sorted integers in non-decreasing order. Find the smallest range that includes at least one number from each of the k lists.

We define the range [a, b] is smaller than range [c, d] if b - a < d - c or a < c if b - a == d - c.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [[4,10,15,24,26],[0,9,12,20],[5,18,22,30]]
Output: [20,24]
Explanation:
List 1: [4, 10, 15, 24,26], 24 is in range [20,24].
List 2: [0, 9, 12, 20], 20 is in range [20,24].
List 3: [5, 18, 22, 30], 22 is in range [20,24].

Example 2:

Input: nums = [[1,2,3],[1,2,3],[1,2,3]]
Output: [1,1]

Constraints:

  • nums.length == k
  • 1 <= k <= 3500
  • 1 <= nums[i].length <= 50
  • -105 <= nums[i][j] <= 105
  • nums[i] is sorted in non-decreasing order.
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
This is first approach


Explaination:
This is second approach

Problem 5: Find K Pairs with Smallest Sums (Leetcode:373)

Problem Statement

You are given two integer arrays nums1 and nums2 sorted in non-decreasing order and an integer k.

Define a pair (u, v) which consists of one element from the first array and one element from the second array.

Return the k pairs (u1, v1), (u2, v2), ..., (uk, vk) with the smallest sums.

Example 1:

Input: nums1 = [1,7,11], nums2 = [2,4,6], k = 3
Output: [[1,2],[1,4],[1,6]]
Explanation: The first 3 pairs are returned from the sequence: [1,2],[1,4],[1,6],[7,2],[7,4],[11,2],[7,6],[11,4],[11,6]

Example 2:

Input: nums1 = [1,1,2], nums2 = [1,2,3], k = 2
Output: [[1,1],[1,1]]
Explanation: The first 2 pairs are returned from the sequence: [1,1],[1,1],[1,2],[2,1],[1,2],[2,2],[1,3],[1,3],[2,3]

Constraints:

  • 1 <= nums1.length, nums2.length <= 105
  • -109 <= nums1[i], nums2[i] <= 109
  • nums1 and nums2 both are sorted in non-decreasing order.
  • 1 <= k <= 104
  • k <= nums1.length * nums2.length
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
This is first approach


Explaination:
This is second approach

Problem 6: K-th Smallest Prime Fraction (Leetcode:786)

Problem Statement

You are given a sorted integer array arr containing 1 and prime numbers, where all the integers of arr are unique. You are also given an integer k.

For every i and j where 0 <= i < j < arr.length, we consider the fraction arr[i] / arr[j].

Return the kth smallest fraction considered. Return your answer as an array of integers of size 2, where answer[0] == arr[i] and answer[1] == arr[j].

Example 1:

Input: arr = [1,2,3,5], k = 3
Output: [2,5]
Explanation: The fractions to be considered in sorted order are:
1/5, 1/3, 2/5, 1/2, 3/5, and 2/3.
The third fraction is 2/5.

Example 2:

Input: arr = [1,7], k = 1
Output: [1,7]

Constraints:

  • 2 <= arr.length <= 1000
  • 1 <= arr[i] <= 3 * 104
  • arr[0] == 1
  • arr[i] is a prime number for i > 0.
  • All the numbers of arr are unique and sorted in strictly increasing order.
  • 1 <= k <= arr.length * (arr.length - 1) / 2

Follow up: Can you solve the problem with better than O(n2) complexity?

Code and Explaination


Explaination:
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Explaination:
This is second approach

Problem 7: Super Ugly Number (Leetcode:313)

Problem Statement

A super ugly number is a positive integer whose prime factors are in the array primes.

Given an integer n and an array of integers primes, return the nth super ugly number.

The nth super ugly number is guaranteed to fit in a 32-bit signed integer.

Example 1:

Input: n = 12, primes = [2,7,13,19]
Output: 32
Explanation: [1,2,4,7,8,13,14,16,19,26,28,32] is the sequence of the first 12 super ugly numbers given primes = [2,7,13,19].

Example 2:

Input: n = 1, primes = [2,3,5]
Output: 1
Explanation: 1 has no prime factors, therefore all of its prime factors are in the array primes = [2,3,5].

Constraints:

  • 1 <= n <= 105
  • 1 <= primes.length <= 100
  • 2 <= primes[i] <= 1000
  • primes[i] is guaranteed to be a prime number.
  • All the values of primes are unique and sorted in ascending order.
Code and Explaination


Explaination:
This is first approach


Explaination:
This is second approach