Maximize profit from one stock trade

Q: Maximize profit from one stock trade

This question evaluates algorithmic problem-solving skills with emphasis on array processing, numeric optimization, and time/space complexity analysis in the coding & algorithms domain. It is commonly asked to assess practical implementation ability and efficiency trade-offs under input-size constraints, and the level of abstraction is practical application rather than purely conceptual reasoning.

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Question

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Problem

You are given an integer array prices where prices[i] is the price of a stock on day i.

You may complete at most one transaction: choose a day to buy one share and a later day to sell that share.

Return the maximum profit you can achieve. If no profit is possible, return 0.

Input

prices : array of integers, length n

Output

An integer: maximum achievable profit

Constraints

1 <= n <= 2 * 10^5
0 <= prices[i] <= 10^9

Example

Input: prices = [7,1,5,3,6,4]
Output: 5 (buy at 1 , sell at 6 )