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6. Search Insert Position

easyAsked at GoDaddy

Return the index where a target is or would be inserted in a sorted array.

By Alex Chen, Founder, InterviewChamp.AI · Last verified

Problem

Given a sorted array of distinct integers and a target value, return the index if the target is found. If not, return the index where it would be inserted in order. Must run in O(log n).

Constraints

  • 1 <= nums.length <= 10^4
  • -10^4 <= nums[i] <= 10^4
  • nums contains distinct sorted ints

Examples

Example 1

Input
nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 5
Output
2

Example 2

Input
nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 2
Output
1

Approaches

1. Linear scan

Walk left to right until you find the position.

Time
O(n)
Space
O(1)
for(let i=0;i<nums.length;i++) if(nums[i]>=target) return i; return nums.length;

Tradeoff:

2. Binary search

Standard half-interval search; the final lo is the insert index.

Time
O(log n)
Space
O(1)
function searchInsert(nums, target) {
  let lo = 0, hi = nums.length;
  while (lo < hi) {
    const mid = (lo + hi) >> 1;
    if (nums[mid] < target) lo = mid + 1;
    else hi = mid;
  }
  return lo;
}

Tradeoff:

GoDaddy-specific tips

GoDaddy maps this to inserting a new TLD into a sorted price-tier table, where O(log n) lookups matter for cart-render latency.

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Output

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