LeetCode 88 – Merge Sorted Array: Problem Explanation and Solutions in C++, Python, and Java
This article explains the LeetCode 88 problem of merging two sorted integer arrays, presents two solution approaches—simple concatenation with sorting and an optimal two‑pointer technique—and provides implementation examples in C++, Python, and Java to illustrate the concepts.
Problem description: Given two sorted integer arrays nums1 and nums2 with lengths m and n, merge nums2 into nums1 so that nums1 becomes a sorted array; nums1 has enough space (size ≥ m+n).
Example input: nums1 = [1,2,3,0,0,0], m = 3; nums2 = [2,5,6], n = 3. Expected output: [1,2,2,3,5,6].
Method 1: Concatenate the two arrays and sort the combined array, resulting in a time complexity of O((m+n)log(m+n)). This approach does not exploit the fact that the input arrays are already sorted.
Method 2: Use two pointers starting from the ends of nums1 and nums2, compare elements and place the larger one at the end of nums1, achieving O(m+n) time without extra space.
The article also includes implementation screenshots for the three languages—C++, Python, and Java—demonstrating how each solution can be coded.
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