Two pointer vs sliding window. , 2-Sum, Container with Most Water). , Remove Duplicates from Sorted Array). Sep 9, 2025 路 Opposite Direction: Pointers at start and end, moving toward each other (e. This guide explains fixed windows, variable windows, opposite… unfiltered. ” In problems that require determining the maximum or minimum Two Pointers and Sliding Window Techniques Introduction Two-pointers is one of the most common problem-solving techniques that is used in many popular algorithms. Apr 20, 2021 路 In simple terms, the sliding window algorithm focuses on managing a window size (subarray or substring) in a larger data structure for efficient computations, while the two pointers algorithm relies on using two points, usually indexes to traverse and compare elements in a sequence in a data structure eg arrays or strings. Let’s break them down and see how they can save you from brute force nightmares 馃槄. g. Dec 9, 2025 路 Stop confusing two pointers with sliding window. Instead of recomputing values for every subarray from scratch, we reuse previous computation while moving the window forward. dsa relatable, engineering student life, btech life struggles, coding struggle, late night coding, debugging life, placement preparation, campus placement grind, leetcode grind, codeforces practice, competitive programming life, data structures and algorithms Discover the ultimate guide to efficient algorithms! Uncover the secrets of 'sliding window' and 'two pointers' techniques, perfect for optimizing your code. Same Direction: Both pointers move forward, where one lags behind the other to form a range (e. 馃敼 Maximum Today’s problem: Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters This Medium-level problem really tested my understanding of: 馃敼 Sliding Window technique 馃敼 Two-pointer approach 馃敼 Using Two pointers Sliding window Binary search on answer Greedy vs DP Graph traversal hiding in plain sight Once you train your brain to see patterns, problems stop looking scary. When you solve a two-pointer problem… Do you consciously track your invariant? Or are you just moving pointers and hoping it works? Today, I solved the following LeetCode problems using Java: 馃敼 Container With Most Water Learned how the two-pointer technique helps reduce time complexity while maximizing results. Oct 12, 2022 路 The flexible-sized window is a bit more complicated because we need two logics, the first is when to update the size of the window, and the second is when to update the pointer to a new Apr 16, 2025 路 Most of these can be solved using two powerful techniques: Two Pointers and Sliding Window. 馃攣 What is the Two Pointers Technique? This technique involves using two indices (pointers) to iterate through a data structure. aadarshh on February 20, 2026: "Grinding daily 馃挭馃敟 . Dec 19, 2025 路 Two pointers optimize traversal by focusing on element relationships (pairs, cycles, reversals), while sliding window optimizes subarray/substring problems by maintaining a contiguous window with specific properties. I would say that that two pointer is a type of sliding window, where you are moving the left and right end points, whereas in sliding window, you have a fixed sub array that you use to traverse through an array. Sliding window and two pointers solve many array and string interview problems in linear time. But sliding window makes it linear time: Expand right Start practicing pointer movement out loud. Key takeaways from the last 50 days: Mastered [hashmap,two pointer , Sliding Window ] logic. Learn the exact differences, decision framework, and when each pattern is the right choice with side-by-side comparisons and real examples. There are two fundamentally different types: Fixed Window (size-controlled) Var Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters — solved in O(n). . Learn how these methods streamline data processing, offering a powerful approach to enhance your programming skills and boost performance. Sliding Window is an algorithmic technique used to efficiently process a contiguous subarray / substring of fixed or variable size within an array or string. . unfiltered. The Sliding Window technique extends the two-pointer approach by employing a pair of pointers to establish a dynamic “window. The main idea behind two pointers technique is that we maintain two variables denoting two different indices in the array and those two variables are moved based on some condition. Most students use nested loops (O(n²)). It's especially useful for: Sorted arrays. Improved my ability to analyze Time and Space Complexity (O (n) vs O (n \log n)). aadarshh on February 17, 2026: "Another day another grind 馃敟馃挭 . dsa relatable, engineering student life, btech life struggles, coding struggle, late night coding, debugging life, placement preparation, campus placement grind, leetcode grind, codeforces practice, competitive programming life, data structures and algorithms, binary search problems, recursion be like If you treat all sliding window problems the same, your solution will break. aufc, iiaob, tbqm, 2v0fy, j7mi, o7avv, ztgy1j, czpzj, vbch, hjnw,