How do you solve Neither Minimum nor Maximum on LeetCode?

Neither Minimum nor Maximum (LeetCode #2733) can be solved using Brute Force or Optimal Solution. The optimal approach is Optimal Solution with O(n) time complexity and O(1) space complexity. Key insight: The problem requires distinguishing between minimum and maximum values.

What is the brute force solution for Neither Minimum nor Maximum?

The brute force approach for Neither Minimum nor Maximum is Brute Force, with O(n²) time complexity and O(1) space complexity. The brute-force approach checks each number in the array to see if it is neither the minimum nor the maximum. This is simple but inefficient for larger arrays. The optimal Optimal Solution approach improves this to O(n).

What algorithm or data structure is used to solve Neither Minimum nor Maximum?

Neither Minimum nor Maximum uses the following concepts: Array, Sorting. The recommended patterns to study are: Array, Sorting.

What are the interview tips for Neither Minimum nor Maximum?

Always clarify edge cases with the interviewer, such as arrays with only two elements. Think about the efficiency of your solution and explain your thought process. Practice dry-running your code with sample inputs to catch any logical errors.

What are common mistakes when solving Neither Minimum nor Maximum?

Not checking if the array has at least three elements before proceeding. Assuming that the first element is always the minimum or maximum.

#2733

Neither Minimum nor Maximum

Easy

ArraySortingArraySorting

LeetCode ↗

Approaches

Brute ForceOptimal

Complexity Comparison

	Brute Force	Optimal Solution★
Time	O(n²)	O(n)
Space	O(1)	O(1)

💡

Intuition

Time O(n)Space O(1)

The optimal approach finds the minimum and maximum values in a single pass and then checks for a valid number in a second pass. This reduces the time complexity significantly.

⚙️

Algorithm

3 steps

1Step 1: Initialize min and max values to the first element of the array.
2Step 2: Iterate through the array to find the actual minimum and maximum values.
3Step 3: Iterate through the array again to find and return any number that is neither the minimum nor the maximum.

solution.py13 lines

1# Full working Python code
2
3def neither_min_max(nums):
4    min_val = max_val = nums[0]
5    for num in nums:
6        if num < min_val:
7            min_val = num
8        if num > max_val:
9            max_val = num
10    for num in nums:
11        if num != min_val and num != max_val:
12            return num
13    return -1

ℹ

Complexity note: The time complexity is O(n) because we only pass through the array a couple of times. The space complexity is O(1) as we only use a few variables.

1The problem requires distinguishing between minimum and maximum values.
2The array must have at least three distinct values to have a valid answer.

Solutions and explanations are original Tejav content. Problem titles © LeetCode — use the LeetCode button above for the full problem statement.