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Problem: Smallest Range Covering Elements from K Lists

Hard
40 min
Explore how to identify the smallest range that includes at least one element from each of multiple sorted integer lists. This lesson helps you understand and implement an algorithm using the top k elements pattern and heaps, enabling efficient selection and range comparison across k lists for coding interviews.

Statement

You are given kk sorted lists of integers, nums, where each list in nums is in non-decreasing order. Your task is to find the smallest range that contains at least one element from each of the kk lists.

A range [a,b][a,b] is considered smaller than another range [c,d][c,d] if ba<dcb−a<d−c, or a<ca < c if ba==dcb-a==d-c.

Constraints:

  • nums.length ==k== k

  • 1<=k<=1001 <= k <= 100

  • 11 \leq nums[i].length 50\leq 50

  • 103-10^3 \leq nums[i][j] 103\leq10^3

  • nums[i] is sorted in a non-decreasing order.

Problem
Ask
Submissions

Problem: Smallest Range Covering Elements from K Lists

Hard
40 min
Explore how to identify the smallest range that includes at least one element from each of multiple sorted integer lists. This lesson helps you understand and implement an algorithm using the top k elements pattern and heaps, enabling efficient selection and range comparison across k lists for coding interviews.

Statement

You are given kk sorted lists of integers, nums, where each list in nums is in non-decreasing order. Your task is to find the smallest range that contains at least one element from each of the kk lists.

A range [a,b][a,b] is considered smaller than another range [c,d][c,d] if ba<dcb−a<d−c, or a<ca < c if ba==dcb-a==d-c.

Constraints:

  • nums.length ==k== k

  • 1<=k<=1001 <= k <= 100

  • 11 \leq nums[i].length 50\leq 50

  • 103-10^3 \leq nums[i][j] 103\leq10^3

  • nums[i] is sorted in a non-decreasing order.