Solution: Kth Smallest Number in M Sorted Lists
Understand how to efficiently find the kth smallest number among multiple sorted lists by using the k-way merge algorithm with a min-heap. Explore the optimized approach that improves performance over naive sorting by managing heap operations and maintaining time complexity within O((m+k) log m). Learn implementation steps and complexity analysis to apply this pattern confidently in coding interviews.
Statement
Given a list, lists, containing k, find the
Even if some values appear multiple times across the lists, each occurrence is treated as a unique element when determining the
If k exceeds the total number of elements across all lists, return the largest element among them. If the lists are empty, return 0.
Constraints:
-
lists[i].length -
lists[i][j]