Choose Three Values with the Largest Product
Company: Google
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: easy
Interview Round: Other
### Problem
Select three distinct array positions in nums and return the largest product of their values. Values may be negative, positive or zero.
```cpp
class Solution {
public:
int maximumProduct(vector<int>& nums);
};
```
### Examples
**Example 1:**
```text
nums = [-10,-9,2,3]
Output: 270
Explanation: (-10)*(-9)*3 beats the three largest values.
```
**Example 2:**
```text
nums = [-5,-4,-2,-1]
Output: -8
Explanation: The three values closest to zero give (-4)*(-2)*(-1).
```
### Constraints
- There are 3..10000 input numbers, each in -1000..1000.
### Clarifying Questions
Consider two negative factors as well as the three largest values.
```hint Read the boundary condition
When can very negative numbers improve a product?
```
### Contract considerations
Consider two negative factors as well as the three largest values.
Overview: Choose Three Values with the Largest Product. Select three distinct array positions in nums and return the largest product of their values.