
Problem Statement
In this problem, you are given an array of integers, nums
. You need to find the maximum absolute sum of any subarray within nums
. A subarray is a contiguous part of the original array, and its absolute sum is calculated by summing all its elements and then taking the absolute value of the result. This task includes finding subarrays where the sum might be derived from positive, negative, or a combination of integer values, thus making the absolute operation critical. You may also consider an empty subarray which has a sum of zero.
Examples
Example 1
Input:
nums = [1,-3,2,3,-4]
Output:
5
Explanation:
The subarray [2,3] has absolute sum = abs(2+3) = abs(5) = 5.
Example 2
Input:
nums = [2,-5,1,-4,3,-2]
Output:
8
Explanation:
The subarray [-5,1,-4] has absolute sum = abs(-5+1-4) = abs(-8) = 8.
Constraints
1 <= nums.length <= 105
-104 <= nums[i] <= 104
Approach and Intuition
Understanding how to approach this problem involves recognizing the optimal subarray that maximizes the absolute sum. Let's dissect our approach based on the given examples and constraints:
Identifying Critical Subarrays:
- To maximize the absolute sum, we need to consider both positive and negative numbers due to the absolute operation. Essentially, we need to find out the subarray with the maximum sum (
max_subarray_sum
) and the subarray with the minimum sum (min_subarray_sum
) because the absolute value of a negative large sum can also yield a large positive result.
- To maximize the absolute sum, we need to consider both positive and negative numbers due to the absolute operation. Essentially, we need to find out the subarray with the maximum sum (
Using Kadane's Algorithm:
- Traditionally used to find the maximum sum of a subarray (let's denote this as
max_subarray_sum
), Kadane's algorithm can be tweaked to find the minimum sum of a subarray (min_subarray_sum
) as well by inverting the signs of the array. - By iterating through the array while keeping track of the current subarray sum, and updating the maximum (or minimum) found so far, Kadane’s algorithm efficiently finds what we need in linear time.
- Traditionally used to find the maximum sum of a subarray (let's denote this as
Final Calculation:
- The maximum absolute sum of any subarray will be the maximum of the absolute values of
max_subarray_sum
and the absolute value ofmin_subarray_sum
. - Special consideration is given to the case of an empty subarray which has an absolute sum of zero; however, in most practical input scenarios, non-empty subarrays will provide a larger absolute sum.
- The maximum absolute sum of any subarray will be the maximum of the absolute values of
This approach efficiently explores all potential subarrays using linear time complexity, which is crucial given the potential size of nums
(up to 100,000 elements). The use of Kadane's algorithm provides an optimal route to solving the problem while ensuring all possibilities (both max and min sums, and even the zero sum from an empty subarray) are considered.
Solutions
- C++
- Java
- Python
class Solution {
public:
int calculateMaxAbsoluteSum(vector<int>& arr) {
int minSum = 0, maxSum = 0;
int currentSum = 0;
for (int num : arr) {
currentSum += num;
minSum = min(minSum, currentSum);
maxSum = max(maxSum, currentSum);
}
return maxSum - minSum;
}
};
This solution in C++ effectively calculates the maximum absolute sum of any subarray in a given integer array. The function calculateMaxAbsoluteSum
receives a vector of integers and utilizes the Kadane's algorithm variant to find the maximum absolute sum. Here's a breakdown of the method:
- Initialize variables
minSum
andmaxSum
to zero. These variables will keep track of the minimum and maximum cumulative sums encountered as the array is traversed, respectively. - A
currentSum
variable is used to store the running total of elements as the array is iterated through. - Iterate through each number in the array:
- Add the current number to
currentSum
. - Update
minSum
with the smaller ofminSum
orcurrentSum
. - Update
maxSum
with the larger ofmaxSum
orcurrentSum
.
- Add the current number to
- After completing the iteration, the function returns the difference between
maxSum
andminSum
, which represents the maximum absolute sum of any subarray within the provided array.
This approach ensures that you get the correct maximum absolute sum with optimal performance and minimal additional space usage.
class Solution {
public int maximumAbsoluteSum(int[] data) {
int lowestSum = 0, highestSum = 0;
int cumulativeSum = 0;
for (int num : data) {
cumulativeSum += num;
lowestSum = Math.min(lowestSum, cumulativeSum);
highestSum = Math.max(highestSum, cumulativeSum);
}
return highestSum - lowestSum;
}
}
The Java function maximumAbsoluteSum
calculates the maximum absolute sum of any subarray from a given array of integers. The function operates by maintaining a cumulative sum of values iterated through the array, using this running total to determine the minimum and maximum sums encountered.
Here's a concise breakdown of the algorithm:
- Initialize
lowestSum
andhighestSum
to 0. These variables track the smallest and largest values of the cumulative sum respectively as the array is processed. - Initialize
cumulativeSum
to 0 to begin summing array elements. - Iterate over each element in the array
data
:- Add the current element to
cumulativeSum
. - Update
lowestSum
to be the smaller oflowestSum
orcumulativeSum
. - Update
highestSum
to be the larger ofhighestSum
orcumulativeSum
.
- Add the current element to
- After completing the iteration over the array, compute the difference between
highestSum
andlowestSum
, which gives the maximum absolute sum of any subarray.
This difference is then returned as the result, representing the maximum possible absolute sum of the subarray differences within the array. The approach efficiently calculates this value in a single pass through the array, ensuring optimal performance.
class Solution:
def maximumAbsoluteSum(self, values):
smallest_prefix = 0
largest_prefix = 0
cumulative_sum = 0
for value in values:
cumulative_sum += value
smallest_prefix = min(smallest_prefix, cumulative_sum)
largest_prefix = max(largest_prefix, cumulative_sum)
return largest_prefix - smallest_prefix
This Python function solves the problem of finding the maximum absolute sum of any subarray by keeping track of the smallest and largest prefix sums encountered during a single iteration over the values
list. The solution method is efficient, employing a running cumulative sum to update the smallest and largest encountered prefix sums.
- Calculate the cumulative sum of elements in the input array while iterating.
- Track the smallest and largest cumulative sum observed up to each point in the array.
- Subtract the smallest prefix sum from the largest prefix sum to derive the maximum absolute sum of any subarray.
The output returns this difference, which represents the solution. This implementation provides an optimal approach given its linear time complexity, O(n), where n is the number of elements in the input array.
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