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Leetcode
Easy
Arrays
Binary Search
Two Pointers
Minimum Common Value

Find the smallest value that appears in both sorted arrays.

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LeetCode 2540 - Minimum Common Value

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Problem Statement

You are given two integer arrays that are already sorted in non-decreasing order. Return the smallest integer that appears in both arrays. If the arrays have no value in common, return -1.

Because the arrays are sorted, the solution should take advantage of their order rather than checking every possible pair.

Input Format

  • Two sorted integer arrays, nums1 and nums2.
  • Each array may contain duplicates.
  • Values are integers.

Output Format

  • Return the smallest integer present in both arrays.
  • If no common value exists, return -1.

Constraints

  • The arrays are sorted in non-decreasing order.
  • Duplicates may appear in either array.
  • Aim for better than brute force pairwise comparison.
Examples
Sample cases returned by the problem API.

Example 1

Input

nums1 = [1,2,3], nums2 = [2,4]

Output

2

Explanation

The common values are {2}. The smallest one is 2.

Example 2

Input

nums1 = [1,2,3,6], nums2 = [4,5,7]

Output

-1

Explanation

There is no value that appears in both arrays.

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