#1431

Easy

auto_awesomeArray-driven solution strategy

LeetCode Problem Workspace

Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies

Determine which kids, after receiving extra candies, will have the greatest number of candies in a group.

Problem Statement

You are given an integer array 'candies' where each element represents the number of candies each kid currently has, and a number 'extraCandies', which represents the extra candies available to distribute. The goal is to determine for each kid, whether after receiving all the extra candies, they will have the greatest number of candies among all the kids.

Return a boolean array 'result' where each element indicates whether the corresponding kid, after receiving the extra candies, will have the greatest number of candies. If they do, the result is 'true'; otherwise, 'false'. Multiple kids can have the greatest number of candies.

Examples

Example 1

Input: candies = [2,3,5,1,3], extraCandies = 3

Output: [true,true,true,false,true]

If you give all extraCandies to:

Kid 1, they will have 2 + 3 = 5 candies, which is the greatest among the kids.
Kid 2, they will have 3 + 3 = 6 candies, which is the greatest among the kids.
Kid 3, they will have 5 + 3 = 8 candies, which is the greatest among the kids.
Kid 4, they will have 1 + 3 = 4 candies, which is not the greatest among the kids.
Kid 5, they will have 3 + 3 = 6 candies, which is the greatest among the kids.

Example 2

Input: candies = [4,2,1,1,2], extraCandies = 1

Output: [true,false,false,false,false]

There is only 1 extra candy. Kid 1 will always have the greatest number of candies, even if a different kid is given the extra candy.

Example 3

Input: candies = [12,1,12], extraCandies = 10

Output: [true,false,true]

Example details omitted.

Constraints

n == candies.length
2 <= n <= 100
1 <= candies[i] <= 100
1 <= extraCandies <= 50

Solution Approach

Find the maximum number of candies

First, find the maximum number of candies any kid currently has in the 'candies' array. This will be the benchmark for determining which kid can reach the greatest number of candies after receiving extraCandies.

Check each kid's total with extraCandies

For each kid, add the 'extraCandies' to their current candies and compare it to the maximum candies from the previous step. If their total is greater than or equal to the maximum, mark it as 'true'. Otherwise, mark it as 'false'.

Return the boolean array

The result will be an array where each value corresponds to whether a particular kid can achieve the greatest number of candies after receiving the extraCandies.

Complexity Analysis

Metric	Value
Time	O(n)
Space	O(1)

The time complexity of this solution is O(n) because we scan the 'candies' array twice: once to find the maximum value and once to compare each kid's total. The space complexity is O(1) because we are only using a constant amount of additional space, aside from the input and output arrays.

What Interviewers Usually Probe

Can the candidate identify an array-driven solution strategy?
Is the candidate able to recognize when an approach involves comparing elements in an array?
Does the candidate optimize the solution to avoid unnecessary recalculations?

Common Pitfalls or Variants

Common pitfalls

Failing to find the maximum value before comparing each kid's total with extraCandies.
Not understanding the requirement that multiple kids can have the greatest number of candies.
Mistaking the problem as requiring sorting, when it can be solved with a simple comparison.

Follow-up variants

Consider varying the number of kids or the size of extraCandies.
What if extraCandies were negative or zero?
How would the solution change if we needed to find kids who would not have the greatest number of candies?

FAQ

How do you solve the Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies problem?

You solve it by checking if each kid's total candies, after adding extraCandies, is greater than or equal to the maximum candies among all the kids.

What pattern is used in the Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies problem?

The problem follows an array-driven solution pattern, where you manipulate and compare array values to solve the task.

Can multiple kids have the greatest number of candies in the Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies problem?

Yes, multiple kids can have the greatest number of candies if their total candies after receiving extraCandies match or exceed the maximum number.

What is the time complexity of the solution for Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies?

The time complexity is O(n), where n is the number of kids, because we scan the candies array twice: once to find the maximum and once to compare each kid's total.

What are the key steps in the solution to the Kids With the Greatest Number of Candies?

The key steps are finding the maximum candies, checking if each kid can reach that maximum after adding extraCandies, and returning the result as a boolean array.

terminal

Solution

Solution 1

#### Python3

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class Solution:
    def kidsWithCandies(self, candies: List[int], extraCandies: int) -> List[bool]:
        mx = max(candies)
        return [candy + extraCandies >= mx for candy in candies]

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