HeapEvidence Contributing
Two Heaps (Median Maintenance)
Balance a max-heap of the lower half against a min-heap of the upper half to maintain a running median.
Practice Problems: 1
Difficulty: 0 Easy·0 Medium·1 Hard
Algorithmic Intuition & Recognition
The Two Heaps (Median Maintenance) technique is applied when tackling problems characterized by specific invariants in the problem state or constraints:
- Core Strategy: Balance a max-heap of the lower half against a min-heap of the upper half to maintain a running median.
- When to use: Look for opportunities where repeated re-computation can be replaced by maintaining monotonic properties, state windows, or relational pointers.
- Interview Signal: Demonstrating this pattern shows mastery of Heap foundations, reducing worst-case algorithmic complexity.