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Problem: First Missing Positive

Medium
30 min
Explore how to identify the smallest missing positive integer in an unsorted array efficiently by applying the cyclic sort pattern. This lesson helps you develop an O(n) time complexity solution with constant space use, deepening your problem-solving skills for coding interviews.

Statement

Given an unsorted integer array, nums, return the smallest missing positive integer. Create an algorithm that runs with an O(n)O(n) time complexity and utilizes a constant amount of space.

Note: The smallest missing positive isn’t the first positive number that’s missing in the range of elements in the input, but the first positive number that’s missing if we start from 11.

Constraints:

  • 11 \leq nums.length 105\leq 10^5

  • 231-2^{31} \leq nums[i] 2311\leq 2^{31} - 1

Problem
Ask
Submissions

Problem: First Missing Positive

Medium
30 min
Explore how to identify the smallest missing positive integer in an unsorted array efficiently by applying the cyclic sort pattern. This lesson helps you develop an O(n) time complexity solution with constant space use, deepening your problem-solving skills for coding interviews.

Statement

Given an unsorted integer array, nums, return the smallest missing positive integer. Create an algorithm that runs with an O(n)O(n) time complexity and utilizes a constant amount of space.

Note: The smallest missing positive isn’t the first positive number that’s missing in the range of elements in the input, but the first positive number that’s missing if we start from 11.

Constraints:

  • 11 \leq nums.length 105\leq 10^5

  • 231-2^{31} \leq nums[i] 2311\leq 2^{31} - 1