Introduction

In this blog post, we will explore how to solve the LeetCode problem "2091" using AI. LeetCode is a popular platform for preparing for coding interviews, and with the help of AI tools like Chatmagic, we can generate solutions quickly and efficiently - helping you pass the interviews and get the job offer without having to study for months.

Problem Statement

You are given a 0-indexed array of distinct integers nums. There is an element in nums that has the lowest value and an element that has the highest value. We call them the minimum and maximum respectively. Your goal is to remove both these elements from the array. A deletion is defined as either removing an element from the front of the array or removing an element from the back of the array. Return the minimum number of deletions it would take to remove both the minimum and maximum element from the array. Example 1: Input: nums = [2,10,7,5,4,1,8,6] Output: 5 Explanation: The minimum element in the array is nums[5], which is 1. The maximum element in the array is nums[1], which is 10. We can remove both the minimum and maximum by removing 2 elements from the front and 3 elements from the back. This results in 2 + 3 = 5 deletions, which is the minimum number possible. Example 2: Input: nums = [0,-4,19,1,8,-2,-3,5] Output: 3 Explanation: The minimum element in the array is nums[1], which is -4. The maximum element in the array is nums[2], which is 19. We can remove both the minimum and maximum by removing 3 elements from the front. This results in only 3 deletions, which is the minimum number possible. Example 3: Input: nums = [101] Output: 1 Explanation: There is only one element in the array, which makes it both the minimum and maximum element. We can remove it with 1 deletion. Constraints: 1 <= nums.length <= 105 -105 <= nums[i] <= 105 The integers in nums are distinct.

Explanation

Here's a breakdown of the solution approach, complexity, and the Python code:

• Find Indices: Locate the indices of the minimum and maximum elements in the input array nums.
• Calculate Deletion Options: Determine the number of deletions required from the front, from the back, or a combination of both to remove both the minimum and maximum elements. There are three possible deletion strategies to consider.

• Minimize: Return the smallest number of deletions among the considered strategies.

• Time Complexity: O(n) - due to the initial linear search for min/max indices.

• Space Complexity: O(1) - constant extra space.

Code

    def minimumDeletions(nums):
    """
    Calculates the minimum number of deletions to remove the minimum and maximum elements from the array.

    Args:
        nums: A list of distinct integers.

    Returns:
        The minimum number of deletions required.
    """

    n = len(nums)
    if n <= 1:
        return n

    min_index = 0
    max_index = 0

    for i in range(1, n):
        if nums[i] < nums[min_index]:
            min_index = i
        if nums[i] > nums[max_index]:
            max_index = i

    left = min(min_index, max_index)
    right = max(min_index, max_index)

    # Option 1: Delete from the left
    option1 = right + 1

    # Option 2: Delete from the right
    option2 = n - left

    # Option 3: Delete from both sides
    option3 = (left + 1) + (n - right)

    return min(option1, option2, option3)