Shortest Distance in a Line - Problem
Given a table Point with a single column x representing positions on the X-axis, find the shortest distance between any two points.
Each row contains an integer value representing the position of a point on the X-axis. You need to calculate the minimum absolute difference between any two distinct points.
Note: The result should be the minimum distance value as a single number.
Table Schema
Point
| Column Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
x
PK
|
int | Position of point on X-axis (primary key) |
Primary Key: x
Note: Each row represents a unique point position on the X-axis
Input & Output
Example 1 — Basic Points
Input Table:
| x |
|---|
| -1 |
| 0 |
| 2 |
Output:
| shortest |
|---|
| 1 |
💡 Note:
Points are at positions -1, 0, and 2. The distances are: |(-1)-0| = 1, |(-1)-2| = 3, |0-2| = 2. The shortest distance is 1 between points -1 and 0.
Example 2 — Adjacent Points
Input Table:
| x |
|---|
| 1 |
| 3 |
| 6 |
| 10 |
Output:
| shortest |
|---|
| 2 |
💡 Note:
Points at 1, 3, 6, 10. Distances: |1-3| = 2, |1-6| = 5, |1-10| = 9, |3-6| = 3, |3-10| = 7, |6-10| = 4. The shortest is 2 between points 1 and 3.
Example 3 — Two Points Only
Input Table:
| x |
|---|
| 5 |
| 8 |
Output:
| shortest |
|---|
| 3 |
💡 Note:
With only two points at positions 5 and 8, the distance is |5-8| = 3.
Constraints
-
2 ≤ number of points ≤ 500 -
-10^8 ≤ x ≤ 10^8 - All points have unique x coordinates
Visualization
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Understanding the Visualization
1
Input
Points on X-axis
2
Self Join
Create all point pairs
3
Calculate
Find minimum distance
Key Takeaway
🎯 Key Insight: Self-join with inequality condition efficiently compares all point pairs to find minimum distance
💡
Explanation
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