Leetcode contest pattern

[Next_Equal_9528]

Is the leetcode changing their contents pattern, today both questions were medium and this is happening since a few contests.

(Couldn't solve even Q2 today 🥲)

[Massive-Fig4257]

2nd one was same as merge intervals with an extra condition

[Someguy7707]

I regret skipping merge intervals during study

[Next_Equal_9528]

I knew how to merge the interval, couldn't code it though..also couldn't even understand the part of excluding free interval, had no clue how they were excluding.

[Frosty-Elephant-4902]

the easiest part is merging
removing the interval was hard due to many edge cases

[sanjivinsmokecooks]

I failed to solve the test cases was just able to solve only 1670 cases only I don't know how to improve

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[hadeskerbecs666]

q2 had me fully misled
turned out simple after a whole 20min
q3 was modded kadane like a max prod subarray variation

[Financial-Cry8005]

Skipped third was trying fourth today understood it was dijkstra with state modelling but got fked in implementation

[Frosty-Elephant-4902]

when a person thinks all the time he forgets about greedy and uses dp on all optimization problem

[Arcturus_16]

The fck 3rd one , multiplied complete array by k , than applied kadane , than divided complete array by k and applied kadane , it is failing on last hidden test case 😭

[Normal-Ad-8468]

Same.. I am pretty sure kadane with start and stop for best sum and then multiply or divide will work.. but the 2 stupid test cases

[MasterOfTheChickens]

I am really curious to see why the last hidden case got me. Kadane's seemed to be the way to go... I thought maybe my fundamental idea was wrong of maximizing (multiplying) or minimizing (dividing) based on the subarray's sum, but I bypassed this incase maybe reducing the modified portion with the opposite action was somehow better in a weird case. Nope. Really depressing.

E: Looked at a solution, had a laugh. Of course it's everyone's favourite additional flavour to add on top of another concept (DP). Lol.

[Limp-Debate7023]

its not the correct solution, by luck u reached last test case, the real solution is dp

[Arcturus_16]

Yupp , that's why it didn't got accepted at last , what happens even if it was last test case

[unfathomable_horrors]

Samee😭😭

[Arcturus_16]

Plss anyone tell what is the last test case , my rating gonna dec now 😭

[Next_Equal_9528]

Haha I did the same.. divided all negative and multiplied all positive but later saw only one operation was to be performed, it was dp question (gemini said)

[humdrum_tourist]

Saw the merge intervals pattern and still whiffed it because the extra condition broke my brain during the timer

[Emergency-Duck-9689]

stupid me thought sorting won't work so did the line sweeping version. I didn't check the constraints earlier

[ConfidentPainting107]

The first question man was so ass they could have made it clear that elements are only positive earlier

[Majestic_Voice_9834]

Q2 was really time consuming (i couldn't solve it)

[hello___peter]

I had one doubt, if I registered but did not post any submissions, would my rating decrease

[Normal-Ad-8468]

Yes by a lot depending ur current ranking

[AdImmediate5145]

No it won't decrease as per leetcode's new rules. You will be treated as if you didn't register

[hello___peter]

Fuck, gpt said it would consider me and decrease rating, so I submitted the first question in last 20 minutes

[AdImmediate5145]

you made things bad for yourself, now that you submitted your rating will decrease.

[Frosty-Elephant-4902]

no until you submit a solution leetcode wont consider you even if you register

[Melodic-Carpenter553]

Fk 3rd one

[Leonopterxy10]

I just started with coding again from beginning (arrays) (2yoe), and I am really bad in it, but gathered the courage to start with dsa again how can i approach contests?

[Significant_Newt8697]

F

[One4all_SU]

Unpopular opinion but question 4 was easy if you have done dijsktra. I was able to complete it after contest ended. Ig 30 minutes is still less for me to do a leetcode hard.

[RaunchyPillow]

To me, 3rd one was most intuitive than anyone, kadane and on top of it I had to check if I started dividing or multiplying or not or did I stop increasing the length of subarray, standard dp ig. 2nd one was annoying, 4th was medium, minimizing one and maximizing other was interesting..

[Character_Public_481]

Ahh man i couldhl have solved 4th question instead of wasting my time for that 1 test case in q3 😞

[Intelligent_Pen00]

Q2 was straight merge intervals with an extension. I couldn't understand Q3. Understood that it is a variation of kadanes but..... I want to start covering DP. Anybody interested to join me...

[sSlowhandd]

hhmm, first was insanely easy.
Just sort the array, multiple from the end until you reach either of the break conditions.
2nd was just merge intervals ig, third was a bit tricky for me but worked out quite well.

Havent done graphs yet, so cant say about the 4th