Bird
Raised Fist0

Which line contains a subtle bug that can cause incorrect room count when meetings just touch (end time equals start time)?

medium🐞 Bug Identification Q7 of Q15
Intervals - Meeting Rooms II (Minimum Conference Rooms)
Examine the following code snippet for Meeting Rooms II. Which line contains a subtle bug that can cause incorrect room count when meetings just touch (end time equals start time)? ```python intervals.sort(key=lambda x: x[0]) heap = [] heapq.heappush(heap, intervals[0][1]) for i in range(1, len(intervals)): if intervals[i][0] > heap[0]: heapq.heappop(heap) heapq.heappush(heap, intervals[i][1]) return len(heap) ```
ALine sorting intervals by start time
BLine pushing first interval's end time into heap
CLine checking if intervals[i][0] > heap[0]
DLine pushing current interval's end time into heap
Step-by-Step Solution
Solution:
  1. Step 1: Analyze overlap condition

    Condition uses '>' instead of '>=' causing meetings that touch to be treated as overlapping.
  2. Step 2: Check sorting correctness

    Sorting by start time is correct; bug is in comparison operator, not sorting line.
  3. Final Answer:

    Option A -> Option A
  4. Quick Check:

    Using '>' excludes meetings starting exactly at heap[0] end time [OK]
Quick Trick: Use '>=' to allow room reuse when meetings touch [OK]
Common Mistakes:
MISTAKES
  • Using '>' instead of '>=' in overlap check
Trap Explanation:
PITFALL
  • Candidates overlook boundary condition causing off-by-one errors.
Interviewer Note:
CONTEXT
  • Tests attention to subtle boundary bugs in interval comparisons.
Master "Meeting Rooms II (Minimum Conference Rooms)" in Intervals

3 interactive learning modes - each teaches the same concept differently

Want More Practice?

15+ quiz questions · All difficulty levels · Free

Free Signup - Practice All Questions
More Intervals Quizzes