Find top-K frequent values with tiebreaks

Q: Find top-K frequent values with tiebreaks

This question evaluates algorithmic problem-solving and data-structure competencies, focusing on frequency counting, multi-criteria tie-breaking (smaller numeric value then earlier first-occurrence), and performance considerations for very large arrays.

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Question

Given an integer array nums and an integer k, return the k values with highest frequency. If multiple values share the same frequency, break ties by (

smaller numeric value, then (
earlier first-occurrence index. The array can contain up to 10^6 elements. Provide an algorithm faster than O(n log n) (e.g., O(n) or O(n log k)), justify correctness under the tie rules, and discuss trade-offs among bucket counting, heaps, and selection.

Find top-K frequent values with tiebreaks

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