I would say the key is practice. Try to go step by step from the easier to harder algorithms and common patterns to adapt to the problem difficulty. If you can’t solve mediums like this problem, try solving easies first, and work your way up from there. Also, when solving problems, try to ask yourself questions like, which algorithm should I use to solve this, or what patterns do I notice in the problem. Also, if you cant solve a problem within 40-50 mins, try googling solutions or watching vidoes and then ask yourself, why and how does this work. But overall, make sure you are familiar and are comfortable with Data Structures and Algorithms, look for key patterns and try to analyze how you would solve a problem. Try to think what tools you might need to solve the problem, how you would approach the problem, and things like that. Your initial thoughts dont have to be the most optimal solution, just try to understand and grasp problems, and how you would think to approach it, I recommend starting with brute force solutions first when needed. Also, try asking ChatGpt to give you practice problems and logic problems to improve problem solving skills, and start easy and work your way up to harder problems. Also, I recommend AOPS as well if you want to try to improve problem solving skills!

@ThinkOutsideTheBox12345 actually very helpful, thanks a lot ❤❤

@ No worries, glad I could help!

Thank you! Cheers!

I understand where you're coming from, but the hashmap would take extra space and cause the space-time complexity to be O(N). The one-pass solution I showed would be taking only O(1) constant space and still have a runtime complexity of of linear time, making it the more optimal solution. Although the hashmap solution is a lot easier to code, the voting algorithm would be more optimal because of that constant extra space.

Thanks!

Happy to help!

me too!

yes, it really is