given an array of integers for each element determine whether that element occurs earlier
How to Determine if an Element Occurs Earlier in an Array
Answer: To determine whether each element in an array of integers has occurred earlier, you can follow these steps:
-
Initialize a Set for Tracking: Use a set to keep track of the elements you have already seen as you iterate through the array.
-
Iterate Through the Array: Loop through each element in the array.
-
Check If the Element Is in the Set:
- If the element is in the set, it means it has appeared before.
- If the element is not in the set, it is the first time you are encountering this element.
-
Update the Set: Add the current element to the set if it’s not already there.
Here is some example code in Python to illustrate these steps:
def check_elements(arr):
seen_elements = set()
result = []
for elem in arr:
if elem in seen_elements:
result.append(True) # This element has occurred earlier
else:
result.append(False) # This is the first occurrence of the element
seen_elements.add(elem)
return result
# Example usage
array = [3, 5, 3, 2, 6, 5]
print(check_elements(array)) # Output: [False, False, True, False, False, True]
Explanation:
- The
seen_elements
set keeps track of all elements encountered so far. - As you iterate through
array
, check ifelem
is inseen_elements
. - Append
True
toresult
ifelem
is found in the set, indicating it has appeared earlier; otherwise, appendFalse
.
Summary: This approach efficiently determines whether each element in an array appears earlier by utilizing a set to track previously seen elements, ensuring each lookup and insertion is done in constant average time.