Hot100

Subtitle / Summary “Maximum depth” is one of the cleanest starting points for tree recursion. Once you truly understand that the answer for the current tree depends on the answers from its left and right subtrees, a whole family of tree DP and DFS problems becomes easier. This guide uses LeetCode 104 to explain recursive DFS, level-order BFS, and the engineering value of the same pattern. Reading time: 9-11 min Tags: Hot100, binary tree, DFS, BFS, recursion SEO keywords: Hot100, Maximum Depth of Binary Tree, DFS, BFS, LeetCode 104 Meta description: Learn the DFS and BFS solutions for LeetCode 104 from the definition of depth, with engineering mappings and runnable multi-language code. Target Readers Learners who are just starting tree problems and want to truly internalize “tree recursion return values” Developers who can write traversals but get confused once the task becomes “compute height”, “compute path”, or “compute an answer” Engineers who need depth analysis on hierarchical data such as menus, org charts, or nested JSON Background / Motivation LeetCode 104 looks like an easy problem, but it is almost the parent problem of tree recursion: ...

Subtitle / Summary Binary tree traversal is the starting point of most tree templates, and inorder traversal is one of the cleanest problems for understanding both recursive thinking and explicit stack simulation. This ACERS guide uses LeetCode 94 to explain the left-root-right order, the iterative stack template, and why the pattern matters in real engineering work. Reading time: 10-12 min Tags: Hot100, binary tree, DFS, stack, inorder traversal SEO keywords: Hot100, Binary Tree Inorder Traversal, inorder traversal, explicit stack, LeetCode 94 Meta description: A systematic guide to LeetCode 94 from recursion to explicit stacks, with engineering scenarios and runnable multi-language implementations. Target Readers Hot100 learners who want to lock in a stable tree-traversal template Developers moving from arrays and linked lists to trees, and still mixing up preorder, inorder, and postorder Engineers who want to reuse the left-root-right idea in BSTs, expression trees, or syntax trees Background / Motivation Inorder traversal is not hard by itself, but its training value is high: ...

Subtitle / Summary LeetCode 148 is not about whether you can sort; it is about choosing the right sorting strategy for linked-list constraints. For singly linked lists, merge sort fits naturally: split by middle, sort recursively, merge linearly. Reading time: 12-16 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, merge sort, divide and conquer SEO keywords: Sort List, linked list merge sort, LeetCode 148, Hot100 Meta description: A practical ACERS guide for LeetCode 148 with derivation, complexity analysis, engineering mappings, and runnable code in multiple languages. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given the head of a linked list head, sort it in ascending order and return the sorted list. Required time complexity: O(n log n). ...

Subtitle / Summary LeetCode 23 is a k-way merge problem, not just repeating LeetCode 21 in a loop. This ACERS guide derives the optimal structure, explains tradeoffs between divide-and-conquer and min-heap, and provides runnable implementations in multiple languages. Reading time: 12-16 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, divide and conquer, merge SEO keywords: Merge K Sorted Lists, LeetCode 23, divide and conquer, O(N log k), Hot100 Meta description: A full ACERS explanation of Merge K Sorted Lists from naive ideas to O(N log k) divide-and-conquer, with engineering mapping and multi-language code. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given an array lists of k sorted linked lists, merge them into one sorted linked list and return it. ...

Subtitle / Summary LeetCode 142 upgrades cycle detection into cycle entry localization. The robust template is Floyd: first detect a meeting inside the cycle, then reset one pointer to head and move both by one step; the next meeting node is the cycle entry. Reading time: 12-16 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, fast slow pointers, Floyd SEO keywords: Linked List Cycle II, cycle entry, Floyd, fast slow pointers, O(1) space, LeetCode 142, Hot100 Meta description: Floyd cycle detection + entry localization with proof intuition, engineering mapping, and runnable multi-language implementations in O(n) time and O(1) extra space. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given head of a singly linked list, return the node where the cycle begins. If there is no cycle, return null. ...

Subtitle / Summary This problem is the linked-list version of merge-sort’s merge step. Use a sentinel node plus two pointers to splice nodes in ascending order in O(m+n), without rebuilding the list. Reading time: 10-12 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, merge, two pointers SEO keywords: Merge Two Sorted Lists, sentinel node, linked list merge, LeetCode 21, Hot100 Meta description: A complete ACERS guide for LeetCode 21 with derivation, correctness invariants, pitfalls, and runnable multi-language code. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given heads list1 and list2 of two sorted linked lists, merge them into one sorted linked list and return its head. The merged list should be formed by splicing together nodes from the original lists. ...

Subtitle / Summary First Missing Positive is a classic in-place indexing problem. Place each valid value x into slot x-1, then scan for the first mismatch. This ACERS guide explains the derivation, invariant, pitfalls, and production-style transfer. Reading time: 12-15 min Tags: Hot100, array, in-place hashing SEO keywords: First Missing Positive, in-place hashing, index mapping, O(n), Hot100, LeetCode 41 Meta description: O(n)/O(1) solution for First Missing Positive using in-place index placement, with complexity analysis, engineering scenarios, and runnable multi-language code. Target Readers Hot100 learners building stable array templates Intermediate developers who want to master in-place indexing techniques Engineers who need linear-time, constant-space array normalization Background / Motivation “Find the smallest missing positive” is fundamentally a placement problem. ...

Subtitle / Summary LeetCode 25 is the upgrade path from 206 (full reversal) and 92 (interval reversal): split by groups, reverse inside each full group, reconnect safely, and keep the last incomplete group unchanged. Reading time: 14-18 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, group reversal, dummy node SEO keywords: Reverse Nodes in k-Group, group reversal, LeetCode 25, Hot100 Meta description: In-place k-group linked-list reversal with dummy-node anchoring and safe reconnection, including pitfalls, complexity, and runnable multi-language implementations. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given the head of a linked list and an integer k, reverse nodes in groups of size k and return the modified head. If the number of remaining nodes is less than k, keep them in original order. You must modify pointers, not just node values. ...

Subtitle / Summary Reorder List is a classic pointer choreography problem: find middle, reverse second half, then merge alternately. This guide derives the in-place O(n)/O(1) method from naive ideas and turns it into a reusable Hot100 template. Reading time: 12-15 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, in-place SEO keywords: Reorder List, split reverse merge, LeetCode 143, O(1) space Meta description: A full ACERS explanation of Reorder List with correctness intuition, boundary handling, engineering mapping, and runnable code in Python/C/C++/Go/Rust/JS. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given the head of a singly linked list head, reorder it to: ...

Subtitle / Summary Reverse Linked List II is not about full-list reversal; it is about reversing a strict middle interval while preserving both outer connections. This ACERS guide explains the dummy-node anchor, head-insertion loop, and boundary-safe implementation. Reading time: 12-15 min Tags: Hot100, linked list, sublist reversal, dummy node SEO keywords: Reverse Linked List II, sublist reversal, dummy node, head insertion, LeetCode 92, Hot100 Meta description: In-place sublist reversal with dummy node + head insertion in O(n)/O(1), with correctness intuition, pitfalls, and runnable multi-language code. A - Algorithm (Problem and Algorithm) Problem Restatement Given the head of a singly linked list and two integers left and right (1 <= left <= right <= n), reverse the nodes from position left to right, and return the new head. ...