Kth Largest Element in an Array
Understand how to solve the problem of finding the kth largest element in an integer array by applying the top k elements pattern. Learn to use heaps for efficient selection and practice implementing your solution to enhance problem-solving skills for coding interviews.
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Statement
Given an integer array, nums, and an integer, k, determine and return the kth largest element in the array.
Note: The
kthlargest element is defined with respect to the array’s sorted order (descending), and does not necessarily correspond to thekthunique value.
Constraints:
-
knums.length -
nums[i]
Examples
Understand the problem
Let’s take a moment to make sure you’ve correctly understood the problem. The quiz below helps you check if you’re solving the correct problem:
Kth Largest Element in an Array
What is the 4th largest element in the following unsorted array?
[5, 12, 9, 0, 6, 7, 1, 8, 4, 9]
9
7
8
6
Figure it out!
We have a game for you to play. Rearrange the logical building blocks to develop a clearer understanding of how to solve this problem.
Try it yourself
Implement your solution in the following coding playground.
def find_kth_largest(nums, k):# Replace this placeholder return statement with your codereturn -1