You are given an array of integers nums. Consider the following operation:
nums and define the score of the operation as the sum of these two elements.You can perform this operation until nums contains fewer than two elements. Additionally, the same score must be achieved in all operations.
Return the maximum number of operations you can perform.
Example 1:
Input: nums = [3,2,1,4,5]
Output: 2
Explanation:
3 + 2 = 5. After this operation, nums = [1,4,5].4 + 1 = 5, the same as the previous operation. After this operation, nums = [5].Example 2:
Input: nums = [1,5,3,3,4,1,3,2,2,3]
Output: 2
Explanation:
1 + 5 = 6. After this operation, nums = [3,3,4,1,3,2,2,3].3 + 3 = 6, the same as the previous operation. After this operation, nums = [4,1,3,2,2,3].4 + 1 = 5, which is different from the previous scores.Example 3:
Input: nums = [5,3]
Output: 1
Constraints:
2 <= nums.length <= 1001 <= nums[i] <= 1000In #3038 Maximum Number of Operations With the Same Score I, the goal is to perform the maximum number of operations where each operation removes two elements and produces the same score. The score of an operation is defined as the sum of the two removed numbers.
A practical approach is to use simulation. First determine the target score using the sum of the first pair in the array. Then continue processing the array in pairs from left to right. For each step, compute the sum of the current pair and compare it with the target score. If the sums match, the operation is valid and you increase the operation count. If they differ, the process must stop because all operations must share the same score.
This approach works because the array is processed sequentially and each operation always uses the next available pair. Since each element is visited at most once, the method runs efficiently with O(n) time complexity and constant O(1) extra space.
| Approach | Time Complexity | Space Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Array Simulation (Pair Checking) | O(n) | O(1) |
Aryan Mittal
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Simulation works because each operation always removes the next two elements from the front of the array. This creates a natural sequential pattern that can be checked pair by pair without rearranging or storing extra information.
Yes, easy array simulation problems like this are commonly used in coding interviews to test basic problem-solving and iteration skills. They are also good warm-up questions before tackling more complex array or greedy problems.
A simple array traversal is sufficient for this problem. No advanced data structures are required because the operations only involve sequentially checking adjacent pairs in the array.
The optimal approach is to simulate the operations sequentially. Determine the score from the first pair of elements and then check each subsequent pair to see if it produces the same sum. Stop when a pair produces a different score.