Leetcode #1817: Finding the Users Active Minutes
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #1817 Finding the Users Active Minutes 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 the logs for users' actions on LeetCode, and an integer k. The logs are represented by a 2D integer array logs where each logs[i] = [IDi, timei] indicates that the user with IDi performed an action at the minute timei.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Array, Hash Table
Intuition
Fast membership checks and value lookups are the heart of this problem, which makes a hash map the natural choice.
By storing what we have already seen (or counts/indexes), we can answer the question in one pass without backtracking.
Approach
Scan the input once, using the map to detect when the condition is satisfied and to update state as you go.
This keeps the solution linear while remaining easy to explain in an interview setting.
Steps:
- Initialize a hash map for seen items or counts.
- Iterate through the input, querying/updating the map.
- Return the first valid result or the final computed value.
Example
Input: logs = [[0,5],[1,2],[0,2],[0,5],[1,3]], k = 5
Output: [0,2,0,0,0]
Explanation:
The user with ID=0 performed actions at minutes 5, 2, and 5 again. Hence, they have a UAM of 2 (minute 5 is only counted once).
The user with ID=1 performed actions at minutes 2 and 3. Hence, they have a UAM of 2.
Since both users have a UAM of 2, answer[2] is 2, and the remaining answer[j] values are 0.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def findingUsersActiveMinutes(self, logs: List[List[int]], k: int) -> List[int]:
d = defaultdict(set)
for i, t in logs:
d[i].add(t)
ans = [0] * k
for ts in d.values():
ans[len(ts) - 1] += 1
return ans
Complexity
The time complexity is , and the space complexity is , where is the length of the array. The space complexity is , where is the length of the array.
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.