1509. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves LeetCode Solution

In this guide, you will get 1509. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves LeetCode Solution with the best time and space complexity. The solution to Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves problem is provided in various programming languages like C++, Java, and Python. This will be helpful for you if you are preparing for placements, hackathons, interviews, or practice purposes. The solutions provided here are very easy to follow and include detailed explanations.

Table of Contents

1. Problem Statement
2. Complexity Analysis
3. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves solution in C++
4. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves solution in Java
5. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves solution in Python
6. Additional Resources

Problem Statement of Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves

You are given an integer array nums.
In one move, you can choose one element of nums and change it to any value.
Return the minimum difference between the largest and smallest value of nums after performing at most three moves.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [5,3,2,4]
Output: 0
Explanation: We can make at most 3 moves.
In the first move, change 2 to 3. nums becomes [5,3,3,4].
In the second move, change 4 to 3. nums becomes [5,3,3,3].
In the third move, change 5 to 3. nums becomes [3,3,3,3].
After performing 3 moves, the difference between the minimum and maximum is 3 – 3 = 0.

Example 2:

Input: nums = [1,5,0,10,14]
Output: 1
Explanation: We can make at most 3 moves.
In the first move, change 5 to 0. nums becomes [1,0,0,10,14].
In the second move, change 10 to 0. nums becomes [1,0,0,0,14].
In the third move, change 14 to 1. nums becomes [1,0,0,0,1].
After performing 3 moves, the difference between the minimum and maximum is 1 – 0 = 1.
It can be shown that there is no way to make the difference 0 in 3 moves.
Example 3:

Input: nums = [3,100,20]
Output: 0
Explanation: We can make at most 3 moves.
In the first move, change 100 to 7. nums becomes [3,7,20].
In the second move, change 20 to 7. nums becomes [3,7,7].
In the third move, change 3 to 7. nums becomes [7,7,7].
After performing 3 moves, the difference between the minimum and maximum is 7 – 7 = 0.

Constraints:

1 <= nums.length <= 105
-109 <= nums[i] <= 109

Complexity Analysis

• Time Complexity: O(\texttt{sort})
• Space Complexity: O(\texttt{sort})

1509. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves LeetCode Solution in C++

class Solution {
 public:
  int minDifference(vector<int>& nums) {
    const int n = nums.size();
    if (n < 5)
      return 0;

    int ans = INT_MAX;

    ranges::sort(nums);

    // 1. Change nums[0..i) to nums[i].
    // 2. Change nums[n - 3 + i..n) to nums[n - 4 + i].
    for (int i = 0; i <= 3; ++i)
      ans = min(ans, nums[n - 4 + i] - nums[i]);

    return ans;
  }
};
/* code provided by PROGIEZ */

1509. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves LeetCode Solution in Java

class Solution {
  public int minDifference(int[] nums) {
    final int n = nums.length;
    if (n < 5)
      return 0;

    int ans = Integer.MAX_VALUE;

    Arrays.sort(nums);

    // 1. Change nums[0..i) to nums[i].
    // 2. Change nums[n - 3 + i..n) to nums[n - 4 + i].
    for (int i = 0; i <= 3; ++i)
      ans = Math.min(ans, nums[n - 4 + i] - nums[i]);

    return ans;
  }
}
// code provided by PROGIEZ

1509. Minimum Difference Between Largest and Smallest Value in Three Moves LeetCode Solution in Python

class Solution:
  def minDifference(self, nums: list[int]) -> int:
    n = len(nums)
    if n < 5:
      return 0

    ans = math.inf

    nums.sort()

    # 1. Change nums[0..i) to nums[i].
    # 2. Change nums[n - 3 + i..n) to nums[n - 4 + i].
    for i in range(4):
      ans = min(ans, nums[n - 4 + i] - nums[i])

    return ans
 # code by PROGIEZ

Additional Resources

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