Is Maximize Score After Pair Deletions easy or hard?

The problem is typically classified as Medium. The challenge is recognizing that direct pair deletion simulation is unnecessary and that sorting plus greedy pairing yields the optimal result efficiently.

Maximize Score After Pair Deletions Python/Java solution

Most implementations sort the array and run a two-pointer loop. The same logic works across Python, Java, C++, Go, and TypeScript. After sorting, increment pointers when a valid pair is found and continue scanning to count the maximum score.

How to solve Maximize Score After Pair Deletions in O(n log n)?

Sort the array first. Use two pointers where the left pointer scans smaller values and the right pointer searches for a strictly larger value to form a valid pair. Each successful match increases the score and advances both pointers. Sorting dominates the complexity, giving an overall O(n log n) algorithm.

What is the best approach for Maximize Score After Pair Deletions?

The most efficient approach uses greedy reverse thinking with sorting and two pointers. After sorting the array, maintain one pointer for smaller elements and another for larger elements. Whenever the smaller value is less than the larger one, form a pair and move both pointers. This strategy maximizes the number of valid pairs in O(n log n) time.

Is Maximize Score After Pair Deletions asked at Google/Amazon/Meta?

Greedy pairing and two-pointer matching problems are common in interviews at companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta. Variants that require maximizing valid matches after sorting appear frequently because they test greedy reasoning and array manipulation skills.

What data structure is used in Maximize Score After Pair Deletions?

The solution mainly uses arrays along with sorting and the two-pointer technique. No complex data structures are required. The greedy logic relies on ordered traversal of the array after sorting.

What is the time complexity of Maximize Score After Pair Deletions?

The optimal solution runs in O(n log n) time due to sorting. After sorting, a single two-pointer scan processes the array in O(n). The brute force approach that checks all possible pairs can take O(n^2) time.

Description Hints 4 Solution

3496. Maximize Score After Pair Deletions

Medium52.5% acceptance1 companyPremium elsewhere, free here

You are given an array of integers nums. You must repeatedly perform one of the following operations while the array has more than two elements:

Remove the first two elements.
Remove the last two elements.
Remove the first and last element.

For each operation, add the sum of the removed elements to your total score.

Return the maximum possible score you can achieve.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [2,4,1]

Output: 6

Explanation:

The possible operations are:

Remove the first two elements (2 + 4) = 6. The remaining array is [1].
Remove the last two elements (4 + 1) = 5. The remaining array is [2].
Remove the first and last elements (2 + 1) = 3. The remaining array is [4].

The maximum score is obtained by removing the first two elements, resulting in a final score of 6.

Example 2:

Input: nums = [5,-1,4,2]

Output: 7

Explanation:

The possible operations are:

Remove the first and last elements (5 + 2) = 7. The remaining array is [-1, 4].
Remove the first two elements (5 + -1) = 4. The remaining array is [4, 2].
Remove the last two elements (4 + 2) = 6. The remaining array is [5, -1].

The maximum score is obtained by removing the first and last elements, resulting in a total score of 7.

Constraints:

1 <= nums.length <= 10⁵
-10⁴ <= nums[i] <= 10⁴

Asked at 1 company

Drw

Topics

Array Greedy

Hints open one at a time

Hint 1

The number of operations is floor((n - 1) / 2), so the number of remaining elements is n - 2 * floor((n - 1) / 2).

Hint 2

There will be either 1 or 2 elements remaining.

Hint 3

If there is 1 element remaining, let it be the minimum element.

Hint 4

If there are 2 elements remaining, let them be the adjacent elements with the minimum sum.

Still stuck?Read the written solution.

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1class Solution:
  def solve(self):
      pass


Starter codePython 3Spaces: 4

Examples

Case 1Case 2

Input

[2,4,1]

Input

[5,-1,4,2]

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