Count minimum cost in array
Last updated: March 29, 2026
Quick Overview
Given an array of integers, calculate the minimum cost to convert all elements in the array to the same value. The cost of converting an element is defined as the absolute difference between the element and the target value. Your task is to implement a function that takes the array as input and returns the minimum total cost.
xAI
March 29, 202649
8
2,033 solved
Given an array of integers, calculate the minimum cost to convert all elements in the array to the same value. The cost of converting an element is defined as the absolute difference between the element and the target value. Your task is to implement a function that takes the array as input and returns the minimum total cost.
xAI uses this problem in the Onsite to evaluate your algorithmic thinking. They expect you to discuss multiple approaches, analyze trade-offs between them, and implement the optimal solution with clean, readable code.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Recognize the underlying problem pattern (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS, etc.)
- Discuss multiple approaches and trade-offs before coding
- Implement an optimal solution with clean, production-quality code
- Handle all edge cases including boundary conditions and invalid input
- Optimize both time and space complexity with clear justification
- Test your solution systematically with well-chosen examples
Key Topics to Cover
How to Approach This
- Clarify input constraints and edge cases before writing code.
- Walk through your approach verbally and confirm with the interviewer before coding.
- Start with a brute force solution, then optimize. Mention time and space complexity.
- Test your solution with examples, including edge cases like empty input or duplicates.
- Consider common patterns: sliding window, two pointers, hash map, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
- What if the input doesn't fit in memory?
- Can you solve this in a single pass?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
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Problem Analysis
This problem can be categorized under the minimization of total cost based on a target value, which leads us to consider the median as a potential candidate for the target value. The median mi...
Approach
- Sort the Array: Start by sorting the input array. For example, if the input is
[1, 2, 3, 4], the sorted array remains[1, 2, 3, 4]. In case of duplicates, the median will still be effective...
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