Find Peak Element

Explore how to find a peak element in a 0-indexed integer array where a peak is greater than its neighbors, including edge cases with virtual boundaries. Learn to apply modified binary search to achieve an O(log n) time solution, essential for optimizing coding interview algorithms and handling complex array problems.

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Statement

You’re given a 0-indexed integer array nums. An index i is called a peak if nums[i] is strictly greater than its neighboring values (the elements immediately to its left and right, if they exist). Assume the array has virtual boundaries where nums[-1] = nums[n] = -∞, so the first and last elements can also be peaks.

Your task is to return the index of any one peak element (if there are multiple peaks, any valid peak index is acceptable), and your solution must run in $O(\log n)$ ...