What happens if I ignore the constraints?
Your code might pass the basic example test cases but will likely fail hidden test cases due to a Time Limit Exceeded (TLE) or Memory Limit Exceeded (MLE) error.
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More FAQs in Understanding Problem Constraints and Inputs
Constraints are the boundaries of the input values (e.g., the size of the array, the maximum value of a number) that your code will be tested against.
They dictate the required time complexity. A large constraint (N=10^6) means you must write an efficient O(N) or O(log N) algorithm, ruling out brute force O(N^2).
An edge case is a rare or extreme situation, such as receiving an empty array, a null value, or extremely large numbers, which often breaks poorly planned code.
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