Is Search Insert Position easy or hard?

Search Insert Position is classified as an Easy problem on LeetCode. The challenge is recognizing that a sorted array allows binary search instead of scanning the entire array.

Search Insert Position Python/Java solution

In Python or Java, the typical solution uses a while loop with left and right pointers for binary search. Calculate mid, compare nums[mid] with the target, and adjust the search boundaries. When the loop finishes, return left as the insertion position.

How to solve Search Insert Position in O(log n)?

Use binary search with two pointers, left and right. Compare the middle element with the target and shrink the search range accordingly. When the loop ends, the left pointer indicates the correct insertion index, even if the target does not exist in the array.

What is the best approach for Search Insert Position?

Binary search is the best approach because the array is already sorted. It repeatedly halves the search space to find the target or the correct insertion index. This results in O(log n) time complexity and O(1) space when implemented iteratively.

Is Search Insert Position asked at Google/Amazon/Meta?

Search Insert Position is a common introductory binary search problem and frequently appears in interviews at companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. It tests understanding of sorted arrays, boundary conditions, and binary search implementation.

What data structure is used in Search Insert Position?

The problem uses a sorted array as the primary data structure. The algorithm relies on binary search over the array indices to locate the target or determine the correct insertion position efficiently.

What is the time complexity of Search Insert Position?

The optimal binary search solution runs in O(log n) time because each comparison cuts the search range in half. A simple linear scan solution exists with O(n) time, but it is not efficient for large arrays.

Description Solution Video 13:42

35. Search Insert Position

Easy52.1% acceptance12 companies

Given a sorted array of distinct integers and a target value, return the index if the target is found. If not, return the index where it would be if it were inserted in order.

You must write an algorithm with O(log n) runtime complexity.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 5
Output: 2

Example 2:

Input: nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 2
Output: 1

Example 3:

Input: nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 7
Output: 4

Constraints:

1 <= nums.length <= 10⁴
-10⁴ <= nums[i] <= 10⁴
nums contains distinct values sorted in ascending order.
-10⁴ <= target <= 10⁴

Asked at 12 companies

Grammarly

Infosys Microsoft Bloomberg

TCS

Google Amazon Meta

IBM Zoho Accenture Yandex

Topics

Array Binary Search

13:42

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35. Search Insert Position

Asked at 12 companies

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