Farthest index that can be reached from the Kth index of given array by given operations
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
Given an array arr[] consisting of N integers and three integers X, Y, and K, the task is to find the farthest index that can be reached by the following operations:
- If arr[i] ? arr[i + 1]: Move from index i to i + 1.
- If arr[i] < arr[i+1]: Either decrement X by 1 if the value of X > 0 or decrement Y by (arr[i + 1] - arr[i]) if the value of Y > (arr[i+1] - arr[i]).
Examples:
Input: arr[] = {4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12}, X = 1, Y = 5, K = 0
Output: 4
Explanation:
Initially, K = 0.
arr[0] > arr[1]: Therefore, move to index 1.
arr[1] < arr[2]: Decrement X by 1 and move to index 2. Now X = 0.
arr[2] > arr[3]: Move to index 3.
arr[3] < arr[4]: Decrement Y by 3 and move to index 4. Now Y = 2
arr[4] < arr[5]: Neither X > 0 nor Y > 5. Hence, it is not possible to move to the next index.
Therefore, the maximum index that can be reached is 4.
Input: arr[] = {14, 3, 19, 3}, X = 17, Y = 0, K = 1
Output: 3
Approach: The idea is to use X for the maximum difference between indexes and Y for the remaining difference. Follow the steps below to solve this problem:
- Declare a priority queue.
- Traverse the given array arr[] and perform the following operations:
- If the current element (arr[i]) is greater than the next element (arr[i + 1]), then move to the next index.
- Otherwise, push the difference of (arr[i + 1] - arr[i]) into the priority queue.
- If the size of the priority queue is greater than Y, then decrement X by the top element of the priority queue and pop that element.
- If X is less than 0, the farthest index that can be reached is i.
- After completing the above steps, if the value of X is at least 0, then the farthest index that can be reached is (N - 1).
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
C++
// C++ program for the above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
// Function to find the farthest index
// that can be reached
void farthestHill(int arr[], int X,
int Y, int N, int K)
{
int i, diff;
// Declare a priority queue
priority_queue<int> pq;
// Iterate the array
for (i = K; i < N - 1; i++) {
// If current element is
// greater than the next element
if (arr[i] >= arr[i + 1])
continue;
// Otherwise, store their difference
diff = arr[i + 1] - arr[i];
// Push diff into pq
pq.push(diff);
// If size of pq exceeds Y
if (pq.size() > Y) {
// Decrease X by the
// top element of pq
X -= pq.top();
// Remove top of pq
pq.pop();
}
// If X is exhausted
if (X < 0) {
// Current index is the
// farthest possible
cout << i;
return;
}
}
// Print N-1 as farthest index
cout << N - 1;
}
// Driver Code
int main()
{
int arr[] = { 4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12 };
int X = 5, Y = 1;
int K = 0;
int N = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);
// Function Call
farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K);
return 0;
}
Java
// Java program for the above approach
import java.util.*;
class GFG{
// Function to find the farthest index
// that can be reached
public static void farthestHill(int arr[], int X,
int Y, int N, int K)
{
int i, diff;
// Declare a priority queue
PriorityQueue<Integer> pq = new PriorityQueue<Integer>();
// Iterate the array
for(i = K; i < N - 1; i++)
{
// If current element is
// greater than the next element
if (arr[i] >= arr[i + 1])
continue;
// Otherwise, store their difference
diff = arr[i + 1] - arr[i];
// Push diff into pq
pq.add(diff);
// If size of pq exceeds Y
if (pq.size() > Y)
{
// Decrease X by the
// top element of pq
X -= pq.peek();
// Remove top of pq
pq.poll();
}
// If X is exhausted
if (X < 0)
{
// Current index is the
// farthest possible
System.out.print(i);
return;
}
}
// Print N-1 as farthest index
System.out.print(N - 1);
}
// Driver code
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int arr[] = { 4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12 };
int X = 5, Y = 1;
int K = 0;
int N = arr.length;
// Function Call
farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K);
}
}
// This code is contributed by divyeshrabadiya07
Python3
# Python3 program for the above approach
# Function to find the farthest index
# that can be reached
def farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K):
# Declare a priority queue
pq = []
# Iterate the array
for i in range(K, N - 1, 1):
# If current element is
# greater than the next element
if (arr[i] >= arr[i + 1]):
continue
# Otherwise, store their difference
diff = arr[i + 1] - arr[i]
# Push diff into pq
pq.append(diff)
# If size of pq exceeds Y
if (len(pq) > Y):
# Decrease X by the
# top element of pq
X -= pq[-1]
# Remove top of pq
pq[-1]
# If X is exhausted
if (X < 0):
# Current index is the
# farthest possible
print(i)
return
# Print N-1 as farthest index
print(N - 1)
# Driver Code
arr = [ 4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12 ]
X = 5
Y = 1
K = 0
N = len(arr)
# Function Call
farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K)
# This code is contributed by code_hunt
C#
// C# program for the above approach
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
class GFG{
// Function to find the farthest index
// that can be reached
public static void farthestHill(int[] arr, int X,
int Y, int N, int K)
{
int i, diff;
// Declare a priority queue
List<int> pq = new List<int>();
// Iterate the array
for(i = K; i < N - 1; i++)
{
// If current element is
// greater than the next element
if (arr[i] >= arr[i + 1])
continue;
// Otherwise, store their difference
diff = arr[i + 1] - arr[i];
// Push diff into pq
pq.Add(diff);
pq.Sort();
pq.Reverse();
// If size of pq exceeds Y
if (pq.Count > Y)
{
// Decrease X by the
// top element of pq
X -= pq[0];
// Remove top of pq
pq.RemoveAt(0);
}
// If X is exhausted
if (X < 0)
{
// Current index is the
// farthest possible
Console.Write(i);
return;
}
}
// Print N-1 as farthest index
Console.Write(N - 1);
}
// Driver code
public static void Main(String[] args)
{
int[] arr = { 4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12 };
int X = 5, Y = 1;
int K = 0;
int N = arr.Length;
// Function Call
farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K);
}
}
// This code is contributed by gauravrajput1
JavaScript
<script>
// Javascript program for the above approach
// Function to find the farthest index
// that can be reached
function farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K)
{
var i, diff;
// Declare a priority queue
var pq = [];
// Iterate the array
for(i = K; i < N - 1; i++)
{
// If current element is
// greater than the next element
if (arr[i] >= arr[i + 1])
continue;
// Otherwise, store their difference
diff = arr[i + 1] - arr[i];
// Push diff into pq
pq.push(diff);
pq.sort();
pq = pq.reverse();
// If size of pq exceeds Y
if (pq.length > Y)
{
// Decrease X by the
// top element of pq
X -= pq[0];
// Remove top of pq
pq = pq.slice(1);
}
// If X is exhausted
if (X < 0)
{
// Current index is the
// farthest possible
document.write(i);
return;
}
}
// Print N-1 as farthest index
document.write(N - 1);
}
// Driver code
var arr = [4, 2, 7, 6, 9, 14, 12];
var X = 5, Y = 1;
var K = 0;
var N = arr.length;
// Function Call
farthestHill(arr, X, Y, N, K);
// This code is contributed by SURENDRA_GANGWAR.
</script>
Time Complexity: O(N*log(E)), where E is the maximum number of elements in the priority queue.
Auxiliary Space: O(E)
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