Leetcode #3000: Maximum Area of Longest Diagonal Rectangle
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #3000 Maximum Area of Longest Diagonal Rectangle 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 0-indexed integer array dimensions. For all indices i, 0 <= i < dimensions.length, dimensions[i][0] represents the length and dimensions[i][1] represents the width of the rectangle i.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Easy
- Premium: No
- Tags: Array
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: dimensions = [[9,3],[8,6]]
Output: 48
Explanation:
For index = 0, length = 9 and width = 3. Diagonal length = sqrt(9 * 9 + 3 * 3) = sqrt(90) ≈ 9.487.
For index = 1, length = 8 and width = 6. Diagonal length = sqrt(8 * 8 + 6 * 6) = sqrt(100) = 10.
So, the rectangle at index 1 has a greater diagonal length therefore we return area = 8 * 6 = 48.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def areaOfMaxDiagonal(self, dimensions: List[List[int]]) -> int:
ans = mx = 0
for l, w in dimensions:
t = l**2 + w**2
if mx < t:
mx = t
ans = l * w
elif mx == t:
ans = max(ans, l * w)
return ans
Complexity
The time complexity is , where is the number of rectangles. 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.