Is Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive easy or hard?

The problem is classified as Hard on LeetCode. The challenge is recognizing that the process can be converted into a monotonic feasibility check and solved using binary search instead of direct simulation.

Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive Python/Java solution

Implement a binary search over the number of operations. For each candidate value, iterate through the array and compute required targeted operations using ceil((nums[i] - y*k) / (x - y)) when the value remains positive. The same logic works in Python, Java, C++, Go, and TypeScript.

How to solve Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive in O(n log M)?

Binary search the minimum number of operations k. During the feasibility check, assume every element loses y*k. For remaining positive values, compute how many extra reductions of size (x - y) are needed using ceil(rem / (x - y)). If the total required targeted operations does not exceed k, the candidate k works.

What is the best approach for Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive?

Binary search on the number of operations is the optimal approach. For a candidate k operations, subtract the baseline effect y*k from every element and calculate how many times each value must receive the stronger reduction (x - y). If the total required targeted operations is <= k, the value of k is feasible. This yields an O(n log M) time solution.

Is Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive asked at Google/Amazon/Meta?

This style of problem—binary search on the answer combined with a greedy feasibility check—commonly appears in interviews at companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta. Interviewers use it to test reasoning about monotonic conditions and optimization over operations.

What data structure is used in Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive?

The optimal solution mainly uses array traversal and binary search logic. No complex data structures are required. A heap can appear in brute-force simulations, but it is not needed in the efficient approach.

What is the time complexity of Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive?

The optimal solution runs in O(n log M) time, where n is the array length and M is the search range for the number of operations. Each binary search step scans the array once to verify feasibility. Space complexity is O(1).

Description Hints 2 Solution Video 12:35

2702. Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive

Q: Is Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive asked at Google/Amazon/Meta?

This style of problem—binary search on the answer combined with a greedy feasibility check—commonly appears in interviews at companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta. Interviewers use it to test reasoning about monotonic conditions and optimization over operations.

Q: What data structure is used in Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive?

The optimal solution mainly uses array traversal and binary search logic. No complex data structures are required. A heap can appear in brute-force simulations, but it is not needed in the efficient approach.

Q: What is the time complexity of Minimum Operations to Make Numbers Non-positive?

The optimal solution runs in O(n log M) time, where n is the array length and M is the search range for the number of operations. Each binary search step scans the array once to verify feasibility. Space complexity is O(1).

Hard44.1% acceptance1 companyPremium elsewhere, free here

You are given a 0-indexed integer array nums and two integers x and y. In one operation, you must choose an index i such that 0 <= i < nums.length and perform the following:

Decrement nums[i] by x.
Decrement values by y at all indices except the i^th one.

Return the minimum number of operations to make all the integers in nums less than or equal to zero.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [3,4,1,7,6], x = 4, y = 2
Output: 3
Explanation: You will need three operations. One of the optimal sequence of operations is:
Operation 1: Choose i = 3. Then, nums = [1,2,-1,3,4]. 
Operation 2: Choose i = 3. Then, nums = [-1,0,-3,-1,2].
Operation 3: Choose i = 4. Then, nums = [-3,-2,-5,-3,-2].
Now, all the numbers in nums are non-positive. Therefore, we return 3.

Example 2:

Input: nums = [1,2,1], x = 2, y = 1
Output: 1
Explanation: We can perform the operation once on i = 1. Then, nums becomes [0,0,0]. All the positive numbers are removed, and therefore, we return 1.

Constraints:

1 <= nums.length <= 10⁵
1 <= nums[i] <= 10⁹
1 <= y < x <= 10⁹

Asked at 1 company

Citadel

Topics

Array Binary Search

Hints open one at a time

Hint 1

Given a candidate, can you check if it is possible to decrement all values to be less than or equal to 0 within the given steps in O(N) time?

Hint 2

If so, run a binary search to look for the minimum such valid candidate.

12:35

Still stuck?Read the written solution, or watch a walkthrough.

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1class Solution:
  def solve(self):
      pass


Starter codePython 3Spaces: 4

Examples

Case 1Case 2

Input

[3,4,1,7,6]
4
2

Input

[1,2,1]
2
1

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