Leetcode #2778: Sum of Squares of Special Elements
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #2778 **Sum of Squares of Special Elements ** 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 1-indexed integer array nums of length n. An element nums[i] of nums is called special if i divides n, i.e.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Easy
- Premium: No
- Tags: Array, Enumeration
Intuition
The constraints allow a direct scan that keeps only the essential state.
By translating the requirements into a clean loop, the logic stays easy to reason about.
Approach
Iterate through the data once, updating the state needed to compute the answer.
Return the final state after the traversal is complete.
Steps:
- Parse the input.
- Iterate and update state.
- Return the computed answer.
Example
Input: nums = [1,2,3,4]
Output: 21
Explanation: There are exactly 3 special elements in nums: nums[1] since 1 divides 4, nums[2] since 2 divides 4, and nums[4] since 4 divides 4.
Hence, the sum of the squares of all special elements of nums is nums[1] * nums[1] + nums[2] * nums[2] + nums[4] * nums[4] = 1 * 1 + 2 * 2 + 4 * 4 = 21.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def sumOfSquares(self, nums: List[int]) -> int:
n = len(nums)
return sum(x * x for i, x in enumerate(nums, 1) if n % i == 0)
Complexity
The time complexity is O(n). The space complexity is O(1) to O(n).
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.