Minimum Moves to Equal Array Elements

MediumMathmath

Solve this the way you would in the interview: out loud, on a timer, with an AI interviewer asking follow-ups while you code. You get a scored report at the end.

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Problem

Given an integer array nums, one move increments exactly n - 1 of the n elements by 1 (you choose which element to leave unchanged each time). Return the minimum number of moves needed to make all elements equal. The answer is guaranteed to fit in a signed 32-bit integer.

Examples

Input: nums = [1,2,3]
Output: 3
[1,2,3] -> [2,3,3] -> [3,4,3] -> [4,4,4].
Input: nums = [1,1,1]
Output: 0
All elements are already equal.

Constraints

  • 1 <= nums.length <= 10^5
  • -10^9 <= nums[i] <= 10^9
  • The answer fits in a signed 32-bit integer

What the interviewer grades

A correct solution is one of five scores. The report also grades problem understanding (did you clarify inputs and edge cases before coding), problem solving, communication while you work, code quality, and testing. See a sample report, or read up on the pattern in the lessons.

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