# Cycle detection

## Kth Largest Element in an Array

287. Find the Duplicate Number

### description

degree of difficulty: $\color{#ef6c00}{medium}$

Given an array nums containing n + 1 integers where each integer is between 1 and n (inclusive), prove that at least one duplicate number must exist. Assume that there is only one duplicate number, find the duplicate one.

We are given a string S of ‘0’s and ‘1’s, and we may flip any ‘0’ to a ‘1’ or a ‘1’ to a ‘0’.

Return the minimum number of flips to make S monotone increasing.

Example 1:

Input: [1,3,4,2,2]
Output: 2

Example 2:

Input: [3,1,3,4,2]
Output: 3

Note:

1. You must not modify the array (assume the array is read only).
2. You must use only constant, O(1) extra space.
3. Your runtime complexity should be less than O(n2).
4. There is only one duplicate number in the array, but it could be repeated more than once.

### solution

My easy understood solution with O(n) time and O(1) space without modifying the array. With clear explanation.

int findDuplicate3(vector<int>& nums)
{
if (nums.size() > 1)
{
int slow = nums[0];
int fast = nums[nums[0]];
while (slow != fast)
{
slow = nums[slow];
fast = nums[nums[fast]];
}

fast = 0;
while (fast != slow)
{
fast = nums[fast];
slow = nums[slow];
}
return slow;
}
return -1;
}