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Competitive ProgrammingEasy

Minimum XOR Pair

Learn how to solve the 'Minimum XOR Pair' problem. This detailed resource details brute force and optimized approaches.

Problem Statement

Easy

Write a function min_xor_pair(arr) that takes an array of non-negative integers arr and returns the minimum XOR sum of any two elements in the array.

Constraints
  • 2 <= len(arr) <= 10^5
  • 0 <= arr[i] <= 10^9

Examples

Example 1
Input
min_xor_pair([9, 5, 3])
Output
6
Explanation

9^5 = 12, 9^3 = 10, 5^3 = 6. The minimum is 6.

Example 2
Input
min_xor_pair([1, 2, 3, 4])
Output
1
Explanation

2^3 = 1, which is the minimum XOR sum.

Need a Hint?
Analyze the input constraints. Try sorting first (O(n log n)) or using a hash map/set to track seen elements in O(n) time.
Edge Cases to Watch
  • Empty list or null input variables
  • Single item lists/arrays
  • Extremely large input bounds causing integer or stack overflow

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