1984.minimum-difference-between-highest-and-lowest-of-k-scores.py

#  Tag: Array, Sliding Window, Sorting
#  Time: O(NlogN)
#  Space: O(1)
#  Ref: -
#  Note: -

#  You are given a 0-indexed integer array nums, where nums[i] represents the score of the ith student. You are also given an integer k.
#  Pick the scores of any k students from the array so that the difference between the highest and the lowest of the k scores is minimized.
#  Return the minimum possible difference.
#   
#  Example 1:
#  
#  Input: nums = [90], k = 1
#  Output: 0
#  Explanation: There is one way to pick score(s) of one student:
#  - [90]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 90 - 90 = 0.
#  The minimum possible difference is 0.
#  
#  Example 2:
#  
#  Input: nums = [9,4,1,7], k = 2
#  Output: 2
#  Explanation: There are six ways to pick score(s) of two students:
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 9 - 4 = 5.
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 9 - 1 = 8.
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 9 - 7 = 2.
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 4 - 1 = 3.
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 7 - 4 = 3.
#  - [9,4,1,7]. The difference between the highest and lowest score is 7 - 1 = 6.
#  The minimum possible difference is 2.
#   
#  Constraints:
#  
#  1 <= k <= nums.length <= 1000
#  0 <= nums[i] <= 105
#  
#  

class Solution:
    def minimumDifference(self, nums: List[int], k: int) -> int:
        n = len(nums)
        nums.sort()
        res = float('inf')
        for i in range(k - 1, n):
            score = nums[i] - nums[i - k + 1]
            res = min(res, score)

        return res