Find the k-th largest element

Q: Find the k-th largest element

This question evaluates a candidate's understanding of selection algorithms and array manipulation, focusing on order statistics and correct handling of duplicates in an unsorted integer array.

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Question

Problem

Given an integer array nums and an integer k, return the k-th largest element in the array.

Notes:

“k-th largest” means the element that would appear at index k-1 if the array were sorted in descending order.
You must handle duplicates correctly (e.g., [5,5,4] , k=2 → answer 5 ).

Input

nums : array of integers
k : integer where 1 <= k <= len(nums)

Output

The k-th largest element (an integer).

Constraints (typical interview scale)

1 <= n <= 2 * 10^5
-10^9 <= nums[i] <= 10^9

Example

nums = [3,2,1,5,6,4], k = 2 → answer 5