LeetCode 702. Search in a Sorted Array of Unknown Size

Description

https://leetcode.com/problems/search-in-a-sorted-array-of-unknown-size/

This is an interactive problem.

You have a sorted array of unique elements and an unknown size. You do not have an access to the array but you can use the ArrayReader interface to access it. You can call ArrayReader.get(i) that:

• returns the value at the ith index (0-indexed) of the secret array (i.e., secret[i]), or
• returns 231 - 1 if the i is out of the boundary of the array.

You are also given an integer target.

Return the index k of the hidden array where secret[k] == target or return -1 otherwise.

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

Example 1:

Input: secret = [-1,0,3,5,9,12], target = 9
Output: 4
Explanation: 9 exists in secret and its index is 4.

Example 2:

Input: secret = [-1,0,3,5,9,12], target = 2
Output: -1
Explanation: 2 does not exist in secret so return -1.

Constraints:

• 1 <= secret.length <= 104
• -104 <= secret[i], target <= 104
• secret is sorted in a strictly increasing order.

Python Solution

First to find an index where its value is no less than the target. Then we can use a binary search to find the index of the target.

# """
# This is ArrayReader's API interface.
# You should not implement it, or speculate about its implementation
# """
#class ArrayReader:
#    def get(self, index: int) -> int:

class Solution:
    def search(self, reader, target):
        """
        :type reader: ArrayReader
        :type target: int
        :rtype: int
        """
        
        
        end = 1
        
        while reader.get(end) < target:            
            end *= 2
            
            
        start = 0
        
        while start + 1 < end:
            
            mid = start + (end - start) // 2
            
            if reader.get(mid) == target:
                return mid
            elif reader.get(mid) < target:
                start = mid
            else:
                end = mid
                
        
        if reader.get(start) == target:
            return start
        
        if reader.get(end) == target:
            return end
        
        return -1