Off-by-one on range boundaries
Wrong move: Loop endpoints miss first/last candidate.
Usually fails on: Fails on minimal arrays and exact-boundary answers.
Fix: Re-derive loops from inclusive/exclusive ranges before coding.
Move from brute-force thinking to an efficient approach using array strategy.
You are given a 0-indexed array nums of n integers, and an integer k.
The k-radius average for a subarray of nums centered at some index i with the radius k is the average of all elements in nums between the indices i - k and i + k (inclusive). If there are less than k elements before or after the index i, then the k-radius average is -1.
Build and return an array avgs of length n where avgs[i] is the k-radius average for the subarray centered at index i.
The average of x elements is the sum of the x elements divided by x, using integer division. The integer division truncates toward zero, which means losing its fractional part.
2, 3, 1, and 5 is (2 + 3 + 1 + 5) / 4 = 11 / 4 = 2.75, which truncates to 2.Example 1:
Input: nums = [7,4,3,9,1,8,5,2,6], k = 3 Output: [-1,-1,-1,5,4,4,-1,-1,-1] Explanation: - avg[0], avg[1], and avg[2] are -1 because there are less than k elements before each index. - The sum of the subarray centered at index 3 with radius 3 is: 7 + 4 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 = 37. Using integer division, avg[3] = 37 / 7 = 5. - For the subarray centered at index 4, avg[4] = (4 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 + 2) / 7 = 4. - For the subarray centered at index 5, avg[5] = (3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 + 2 + 6) / 7 = 4. - avg[6], avg[7], and avg[8] are -1 because there are less than k elements after each index.
Example 2:
Input: nums = [100000], k = 0 Output: [100000] Explanation: - The sum of the subarray centered at index 0 with radius 0 is: 100000. avg[0] = 100000 / 1 = 100000.
Example 3:
Input: nums = [8], k = 100000 Output: [-1] Explanation: - avg[0] is -1 because there are less than k elements before and after index 0.
Constraints:
n == nums.length1 <= n <= 1050 <= nums[i], k <= 105Problem summary: You are given a 0-indexed array nums of n integers, and an integer k. The k-radius average for a subarray of nums centered at some index i with the radius k is the average of all elements in nums between the indices i - k and i + k (inclusive). If there are less than k elements before or after the index i, then the k-radius average is -1. Build and return an array avgs of length n where avgs[i] is the k-radius average for the subarray centered at index i. The average of x elements is the sum of the x elements divided by x, using integer division. The integer division truncates toward zero, which means losing its fractional part. For example, the average of four elements 2, 3, 1, and 5 is (2 + 3 + 1 + 5) / 4 = 11 / 4 = 2.75, which truncates to 2.
Start with the most direct exhaustive search. That gives a correctness anchor before optimizing.
Pattern signal: Array · Sliding Window
[7,4,3,9,1,8,5,2,6] 3
[100000] 0
[8] 100000
minimum-size-subarray-sum)moving-average-from-data-stream)subarray-sum-equals-k)maximum-average-subarray-i)number-of-sub-arrays-of-size-k-and-average-greater-than-or-equal-to-threshold)Source-backed implementations are provided below for direct study and interview prep.
// Accepted solution for LeetCode #2090: K Radius Subarray Averages
class Solution {
public int[] getAverages(int[] nums, int k) {
int n = nums.length;
int[] ans = new int[n];
Arrays.fill(ans, -1);
long s = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
s += nums[i];
if (i >= k * 2) {
ans[i - k] = (int) (s / (k * 2 + 1));
s -= nums[i - k * 2];
}
}
return ans;
}
}
// Accepted solution for LeetCode #2090: K Radius Subarray Averages
func getAverages(nums []int, k int) []int {
ans := make([]int, len(nums))
for i := range ans {
ans[i] = -1
}
s := 0
for i, x := range nums {
s += x
if i >= k*2 {
ans[i-k] = s / (k*2 + 1)
s -= nums[i-k*2]
}
}
return ans
}
# Accepted solution for LeetCode #2090: K Radius Subarray Averages
class Solution:
def getAverages(self, nums: List[int], k: int) -> List[int]:
n = len(nums)
ans = [-1] * n
s = 0
for i, x in enumerate(nums):
s += x
if i >= k * 2:
ans[i - k] = s // (k * 2 + 1)
s -= nums[i - k * 2]
return ans
// Accepted solution for LeetCode #2090: K Radius Subarray Averages
/**
* [2090] K Radius Subarray Averages
*
* You are given a 0-indexed array nums of n integers, and an integer k.
* The k-radius average for a subarray of nums centered at some index i with the radius k is the average of all elements in nums between the indices i - k and i + k (inclusive). If there are less than k elements before or after the index i, then the k-radius average is -1.
* Build and return an array avgs of length n where avgs[i] is the k-radius average for the subarray centered at index i.
* The average of x elements is the sum of the x elements divided by x, using integer division. The integer division truncates toward zero, which means losing its fractional part.
*
* For example, the average of four elements 2, 3, 1, and 5 is (2 + 3 + 1 + 5) / 4 = 11 / 4 = 2.75, which truncates to 2.
*
*
* Example 1:
* <img alt="" src="https://assets.leetcode.com/uploads/2021/11/07/eg1.png" style="width: 343px; height: 119px;" />
* Input: nums = [7,4,3,9,1,8,5,2,6], k = 3
* Output: [-1,-1,-1,5,4,4,-1,-1,-1]
* Explanation:
* - avg[0], avg[1], and avg[2] are -1 because there are less than k elements before each index.
* - The sum of the subarray centered at index 3 with radius 3 is: 7 + 4 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 = 37.
* Using integer division, avg[3] = 37 / 7 = 5.
* - For the subarray centered at index 4, avg[4] = (4 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 + 2) / 7 = 4.
* - For the subarray centered at index 5, avg[5] = (3 + 9 + 1 + 8 + 5 + 2 + 6) / 7 = 4.
* - avg[6], avg[7], and avg[8] are -1 because there are less than k elements after each index.
*
* Example 2:
*
* Input: nums = [100000], k = 0
* Output: [100000]
* Explanation:
* - The sum of the subarray centered at index 0 with radius 0 is: 100000.
* avg[0] = 100000 / 1 = 100000.
*
* Example 3:
*
* Input: nums = [8], k = 100000
* Output: [-1]
* Explanation:
* - avg[0] is -1 because there are less than k elements before and after index 0.
*
*
* Constraints:
*
* n == nums.length
* 1 <= n <= 10^5
* 0 <= nums[i], k <= 10^5
*
*/
pub struct Solution {}
// problem: https://leetcode.com/problems/k-radius-subarray-averages/
// discuss: https://leetcode.com/problems/k-radius-subarray-averages/discuss/?currentPage=1&orderBy=most_votes&query=
// submission codes start here
impl Solution {
pub fn get_averages(nums: Vec<i32>, k: i32) -> Vec<i32> {
vec![]
}
}
// submission codes end
#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
use super::*;
#[test]
#[ignore]
fn test_2090_example_1() {
let nums = vec![7, 4, 3, 9, 1, 8, 5, 2, 6];
let k = 3;
let result = vec![-1, -1, -1, 5, 4, 4, -1, -1, -1];
assert_eq!(Solution::get_averages(nums, k), result);
}
#[test]
#[ignore]
fn test_2090_example_2() {
let nums = vec![8];
let k = 0;
let result = vec![-1];
assert_eq!(Solution::get_averages(nums, k), result);
}
#[test]
#[ignore]
fn test_2090_example_3() {
let nums = vec![100000];
let k = 0;
let result = vec![100000];
assert_eq!(Solution::get_averages(nums, k), result);
}
}
// Accepted solution for LeetCode #2090: K Radius Subarray Averages
function getAverages(nums: number[], k: number): number[] {
const n = nums.length;
const ans: number[] = Array(n).fill(-1);
let s = 0;
for (let i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
s += nums[i];
if (i >= k * 2) {
ans[i - k] = Math.floor(s / (k * 2 + 1));
s -= nums[i - k * 2];
}
}
return ans;
}
Use this to step through a reusable interview workflow for this problem.
For each starting index, scan the next k elements to compute the window aggregate. There are n−k+1 starting positions, each requiring O(k) work, giving O(n × k) total. No extra space since we recompute from scratch each time.
The window expands and contracts as we scan left to right. Each element enters the window at most once and leaves at most once, giving 2n total operations = O(n). Space depends on what we track inside the window (a hash map of at most k distinct elements, or O(1) for a fixed-size window).
Review these before coding to avoid predictable interview regressions.
Wrong move: Loop endpoints miss first/last candidate.
Usually fails on: Fails on minimal arrays and exact-boundary answers.
Fix: Re-derive loops from inclusive/exclusive ranges before coding.
Wrong move: Using `if` instead of `while` leaves the window invalid for multiple iterations.
Usually fails on: Over-limit windows stay invalid and produce wrong lengths/counts.
Fix: Shrink in a `while` loop until the invariant is valid again.