Coding Interview Patterns | #5 Merge Intervals

The Merge Intervals pattern is a technique used to merge or combine overlapping intervals within a collection. It’s particularly useful when dealing with problems involving time intervals, schedules, or any range-based data. Here’s a concise description:

Sort Intervals: Begin by sorting the intervals based on their start or endpoints.
Iterate and Merge: Traverse the sorted intervals one by one. Whenever you encounter overlapping intervals, merge them into a new interval.
Add to Result: If the current interval doesn’t overlap with the previous merged interval, add the merged interval to the result set.
Repeat: Continue this process for all intervals, updating and merging as needed.

Remember, this pattern is convenient when you encounter problems involving intervals or overlapping items. If you spot clue words related to intervals, think “Merge Intervals”! 😊
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