Element with left side smaller and right side greater

Summary

Given an unsorted array, find the element that has a smaller value on its left side and a greater value on its right side. This problem involves searching for an element in an array while maintaining a balance between left and right sides.

Detailed Explanation

To solve this problem, we can iterate through the array from both ends (left and right). We maintain two pointers, i and j, initially set to 0 and n-1, where n is the length of the array.

We compare the values at i and j. If arr[i] < arr[j], we move the left pointer to the right until we find a pair that satisfies the condition. If not, we move the right pointer to the left.

Once we find such an element, we return it as our answer.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the solution:

1. Initialize two pointers i and j to 0 and n-1, respectively.
2. Compare arr[i] and arr[j]. If arr[i] < arr[j], move the left pointer i to the right until you find a pair that satisfies the condition.
3. If not, move the right pointer j to the left until you find a pair that satisfies the condition.
4. Return the element at index (i + j) / 2 as our answer.

The time complexity of this solution is O(n), where n is the length of the array. The space complexity is O(1).

Optimized Solutions

Java