How do I practice coding and algorithm questions?

Use PracHub's coding console to write, test, and debug your solutions in Python or JavaScript. View hints, test against sample inputs, and compare with official solutions.

What difficulty level is this coding question?

This is a medium difficulty Coding & Algorithms question, commonly asked during Technical Screen rounds at Netflix.

What role is this question designed for?

This question is commonly asked for Software Engineer candidates at Netflix during technical interviews.

Find longest run of identical consecutive shows

Quick Overview

This question evaluates array-manipulation skills and the ability to identify contiguous runs of equal values, emphasizing algorithmic efficiency and edge-case handling within the Coding & Algorithms domain. It is commonly asked to assess practical application of linear-time, constant-space processing and attention to implementation details rather than purely theoretical concepts.

Quick Overview

Find longest run of identical consecutive shows

Company: Netflix

Role: Software Engineer

Category: Coding & Algorithms

Difficulty: medium

Interview Round: Technical Screen

Given an array `shows` of integers, find the **maximum length of a contiguous run** where all values are equal. ### Function signature - Input: `shows: List[int]` - Output: `int` ### Examples - `shows = [7, 7, 2, 2, 2, 7]` → `3` (the run `[2,2,2]`) - `shows = []` → `0` ### Constraints - Aim for an `O(n)` time solution with `O(1)` extra space.

Quick Answer: This question evaluates array-manipulation skills and the ability to identify contiguous runs of equal values, emphasizing algorithmic efficiency and edge-case handling within the Coding & Algorithms domain. It is commonly asked to assess practical application of linear-time, constant-space processing and attention to implementation details rather than purely theoretical concepts.

Given an array of integers `shows`, return the maximum length of a contiguous run where all values are equal. A run must consist of consecutive elements in the array. If the array is empty, return `0`. For example, in `[7, 7, 2, 2, 2, 7]`, the longest contiguous run of identical values is `[2, 2, 2]`, so the answer is `3`.

Constraints

0 <= len(shows) <= 100000
-1000000000 <= shows[i] <= 1000000000
Aim for O(n) time and O(1) extra space

Examples

Input: ([7, 7, 2, 2, 2, 7],)

Expected Output: 3

Explanation: The longest contiguous block of equal values is `[2, 2, 2]`, which has length 3.

Input: ([],)

Expected Output: 0

Explanation: An empty list has no runs, so the answer is 0.

Input: ([5],)

Expected Output: 1

Explanation: A single element forms a run of length 1.

Input: ([1, 1, 1, 1],)

Expected Output: 4

Explanation: All elements are the same, so the entire array is one run of length 4.

Input: ([1, 2, 3, 4],)

Expected Output: 1

Explanation: No two consecutive elements are equal, so the longest run length is 1.

Input: ([3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2],)

Expected Output: 3

Explanation: The longest run is `[3, 3, 3]`, which has length 3.

Input: ([-1, -1, -1, 2, 2, -1],)

Expected Output: 3

Explanation: The longest run is `[-1, -1, -1]`, which has length 3.

Hints

Compare each element with the previous one to see whether the current run continues or resets.
Keep two counters: one for the current run length and one for the maximum run length seen so far.

Last updated: May 4, 2026

Loading coding console...