Sort a Permutation Using a Bounded Sequence of Prefix Reversals
Company: Amazon
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
### Problem
A pancake flip chooses `1 <= k <= arr.length` and reverses the first k values. Given a permutation of1 through n, return any sequence of flip lengths that sorts it in ascending order using at most10*n flips. A minimum-length sequence is not required.
```cpp
class Solution {
public:
vector<int> pancakeSort(vector<int>& arr);
};
```
### Examples
**Example 1:**
```text
Input: arr = [2,3,1]
Output: [2,3]
Explanation: Flip2 gives[3,2,1], then flip3 gives[1,2,3].
```
**Example 2:**
```text
Input: arr = [2,1]
Output: [2]
Explanation: Reversing the full prefix sorts both values in one flip.
```
### Constraints
- `1 <= arr.length <= 100`.
- Every value lies between1 and arr.length.
- Values are unique, so arr is a permutation of1 through arr.length.
- The returned sequence must use at most10*arr.length flips.
### Contract considerations
The source allows any sorting flip sequence under the stated bound. It does not require the fewest flips.
```hint Read the boundary condition
Place the largest unfinished value at the end of its prefix, then shrink the unfinished region.
```
### What a Strong Answer Covers
The source allows any sorting flip sequence under the stated bound. It does not require the fewest flips.
### Follow-up Questions
Optional practice extension, separate from the original task: How could you validate the flips without requiring one particular reference sequence?
Overview: Sort a Permutation Using a Bounded Sequence of Prefix Reversals. A pancake flip chooses 1 <= k <= arr.length and reverses the first k values.
Sort a Permutation Using a Bounded Sequence of Prefix Reversals
Amazon
Source window: 0–3 months · as of Oct 21, 2026
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Problem
A pancake flip chooses 1 <= k <= arr.length and reverses the first k values. Given a permutation of1 through n, return any sequence of flip lengths that sorts it in ascending order using at most10*n flips. A minimum-length sequence is not required.
class Solution {
public:
vector<int> pancakeSort(vector<int>& arr);
};