Find Minimum In Rotated Sorted Array
Detailed guide and Python implementation for the 'Find Minimum In Rotated Sorted Array' problem.
Problem Statement
Suppose an array of length n sorted in ascending order is rotated between 1 and n times. For example, the array [0,1,2,4,5,6,7] might become [4,5,6,7,0,1,2] if it was rotated 4 times.
Notice that rotating an array [a[0], a[1], ..., a[n-1]] 1 time results in [a[n-1], a[0], a[1], ..., a[n-2]].
Given the sorted rotated array nums of unique elements, return the minimum element of this array.
You must write an algorithm that runs in O(log n) time.
Write a function findMin(nums: List[int]) -> int.
- •n == len(nums)
- •1 <= n <= 5000
- •-5000 <= nums[i] <= 5000
- •All integers in nums are unique
- •nums is sorted and rotated between 1 and n times
Examples
nums = [3, 4, 5, 1, 2]
1
The original array was [1,2,3,4,5] rotated 3 times. The minimum is 1.
nums = [4, 5, 6, 7, 0, 1, 2]
0
The original array was [0,1,2,4,5,6,7] rotated 4 times. The minimum is 0.
nums = [11, 13, 15, 17]
11
Array is not rotated (or rotated n times). The minimum is the first element.
Need a Hint?
Edge Cases to Watch
- Empty input structures
- Single element inputs
- Large numerical bounds
Ready to Solve?
Open the problem in PyRun's browser-based Python editor. Your code runs fully offline — no server required.
Recommended Python Resources
Expand your knowledge with related interactive tutorials, cheat sheets, and code comparisons.
Python Try/Except & Error Handling
Prevent your Python scripts from crashing. Learn try, except, finally blocks and how to raise custom exceptions properly.
How to Reverse a String in Python
Learn how to reverse a string in Python using slicing, the reversed() function, and loop concatenation with visual code examples.
Python String Methods
A complete reference guide for Python string manipulation. Master formatting, searching, splitting, replacing, and checking string properties.
Python vs JavaScript: Which Programming Language is Best?
A comprehensive comparison between Python and JavaScript. Explore syntax differences, performance, use cases (backend vs frontend), and coding examples.