The Runtime Theory
mediumLeetCode#two-pointers#greedy-proof

Container With Most Water

Choose two vertical lines that contain the largest possible area with the x-axis.

The Runtime Theory Team25 min read
Solve it

Solving happens on the judge — come back and mark it done

Sample cases

inheight=[1,8,6,2,5,4,8,3,7]

out49

inheight=[1,1]

out1

inheight=[4,3,2,1,4]

out16

Choose two vertical lines that contain the largest possible area with the x-axis.

A good solution should

  • State the invariant or decision rule that makes the approach correct.
  • Explain the time and space complexity in terms of the input sizes and required output.
  • Handle empty, minimal, duplicate, and boundary-shaped inputs covered by the contract.

Reasoning prompt

After evaluating a pair, move the shorter boundary. Explain why keeping it cannot improve area as the width shrinks.

Use the linked judge for the canonical problem. The examples above are compact TRT checks; write additional cases before submitting, especially for the boundary that tends to break your chosen invariant.

More practice in this topic

One dispatch a week

The trace behind each problem, the tradeoff that explains it, and one technical dispatch per week — no noise.

One technical dispatch per week. No noise.

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