LeetCode 53 ·
Medium
Maximum Subarray
Find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Try it
Step through the core mechanic. The simulator below runs the greedy shape this problem is built on.
Walk the pattern
No dedicated step-through for this one yet. The shape is Greedy — its pattern page has the interactive walkthrough, the reference implementation, and a five-problem progression that this problem sits inside.
The approach
Kadane: the best sum ending here is max(nums[i], bestEndingHere + nums[i]) — extend the run or restart at i. Track the global best as you sweep.
| Aspect | Value |
|---|---|
| Pattern | Greedy |
| Recognise it by | Largest contiguous sum — Kadane. |
| Time complexity | O(n) |
| Space complexity | O(1) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
Who asks it
Companies known to ask this problem, from public LeetCode company-tag aggregations. A signal of where to expect it, not a guarantee.