Leetcode #1801: Number of Orders in the Backlog
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #1801 Number of Orders in the Backlog in Python and focus on the core idea that makes the solution efficient.
You will see the intuition, the step-by-step method, and a clean Python implementation you can use in interviews.
Problem Statement
You are given a 2D integer array orders, where each orders[i] = [pricei, amounti, orderTypei] denotes that amounti orders have been placed of type orderTypei at the price pricei. The orderTypei is: 0 if it is a batch of buy orders, or 1 if it is a batch of sell orders.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Array, Simulation, Heap (Priority Queue)
Intuition
We need to repeatedly access the smallest or largest element as the input changes.
A heap provides fast insertions and removals while keeping order.
Approach
Push candidates into the heap as you scan, and pop when you need the best element.
Keep the heap size bounded if the problem requires a top-k structure.
Steps:
- Push candidates into a heap.
- Pop the best candidate when needed.
- Maintain heap size or invariants.
Example
Input: orders = [[10,5,0],[15,2,1],[25,1,1],[30,4,0]]
Output: 6
Explanation: Here is what happens with the orders:
- 5 orders of type buy with price 10 are placed. There are no sell orders, so the 5 orders are added to the backlog.
- 2 orders of type sell with price 15 are placed. There are no buy orders with prices larger than or equal to 15, so the 2 orders are added to the backlog.
- 1 order of type sell with price 25 is placed. There are no buy orders with prices larger than or equal to 25 in the backlog, so this order is added to the backlog.
- 4 orders of type buy with price 30 are placed. The first 2 orders are matched with the 2 sell orders of the least price, which is 15 and these 2 sell orders are removed from the backlog. The 3rd order is matched with the sell order of the least price, which is 25 and this sell order is removed from the backlog. Then, there are no more sell orders in the backlog, so the 4th order is added to the backlog.
Finally, the backlog has 5 buy orders with price 10, and 1 buy order with price 30. So the total number of orders in the backlog is 6.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def getNumberOfBacklogOrders(self, orders: List[List[int]]) -> int:
buy, sell = [], []
for p, a, t in orders:
if t == 0:
while a and sell and sell[0][0] <= p:
x, y = heappop(sell)
if a >= y:
a -= y
else:
heappush(sell, (x, y - a))
a = 0
if a:
heappush(buy, (-p, a))
else:
while a and buy and -buy[0][0] >= p:
x, y = heappop(buy)
if a >= y:
a -= y
else:
heappush(buy, (x, y - a))
a = 0
if a:
heappush(sell, (p, a))
mod = 10**9 + 7
return sum(v[1] for v in buy + sell) % mod
Complexity
The time complexity is , and the space complexity is . The space complexity is .
Edge Cases and Pitfalls
Watch for boundary values, empty inputs, and duplicate values where applicable. If the problem involves ordering or constraints, confirm the invariant is preserved at every step.
Summary
This Python solution focuses on the essential structure of the problem and keeps the implementation interview-friendly while meeting the constraints.