How to Solve The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair Leetcode Problem - Interview Coder Guide
Get Monthly InterviewCoder for $99 $25!
First 100 customers only
24
:
00
:
00
Used by 87,000+ developers who passed their interviews

How to Solve The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair Problem

Master the The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair LeetCode problem with undetectable real-time assistance. Get instant solutions and explanations during your coding interviews.

Interview Coder generates complete solutions and debugging hints that you can use while explaining your approach, so you stay calm and in control.

undetectable
real-time
works on major platforms
Medium#2054
LeetCode Problem

The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair

There is a party where n friends numbered from 0 to n - 1 are attending. There is an infinite number of chairs in this party that are numbered from 0 to infinity. When a friend arrives at the party, t...

ArrayHash TableHeap (Priority Queue)

Interview Coder will help you solve this problem in real-time during your interview

✨ Get instant solutions, explanations, and code generation

Problem Breakdown

Understanding the The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair Problem

Let's break down this LeetCode problem and understand what makes it challenging in interview settings.

Problem Statement

There is a party where n friends numbered from 0 to n - 1 are attending. There is an infinite number of chairs in this party that are numbered from 0 to infinity. When a friend arrives at the party, they sit on the unoccupied chair with the smallest number. For example, if chairs 0, 1, and 5 are occupied when a friend comes, they will sit on chair number 2. When a friend leaves the party, their chair becomes unoccupied at the moment they leave. If another friend arrives at that same moment, they can sit in that chair. You are given a 0-indexed 2D integer array times where times[i] = [arrivali, leavingi], indicating the arrival and leaving times of the ith friend respectively, and an integer targetFriend. All arrival times are distinct. Return the chair number that the friend numbered targetFriend will sit on.

MediumProblem #2054
LeetCode

The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair

Related Topics
ArrayHash TableHeap (Priority Queue)
How Interview Coder Helps

Get real-time assistance for The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair problems during coding interviews. Interview Coder provides instant solutions and explanations.

Examples

Example 1
INPUT
times = [[1,4],[2,3],[4,6]], targetFriend = 1
OUTPUT
1
EXPLANATION

- Friend 0 arrives at time 1 and sits on chair 0. - Friend 1 arrives at time 2 and sits on chair 1. - Friend 1 leaves at time 3 and chair 1 becomes empty. - Friend 0 leaves at time 4 and chair 0 becomes empty. - Friend 2 arrives at time 4 and sits on chair 0. Since friend 1 sat on chair 1, we return 1.

Example 2
INPUT
times = [[3,10],[1,5],[2,6]], targetFriend = 0
OUTPUT
2
EXPLANATION

- Friend 1 arrives at time 1 and sits on chair 0. - Friend 2 arrives at time 2 and sits on chair 1. - Friend 0 arrives at time 3 and sits on chair 2. - Friend 1 leaves at time 5 and chair 0 becomes empty. - Friend 2 leaves at time 6 and chair 1 becomes empty. - Friend 0 leaves at time 10 and chair 2 becomes empty. Since friend 0 sat on chair 2, we return 2.

Constraints

n == times.length
2 <= n <= 104
times[i].length == 2
1 <= arrivali < leavingi <= 105
0 <= targetFriend <= n - 1
Each arrivali time is distinct.

How Interview Coder Helps with Leetcode Problems

Trust anchors reduce friction for conversion. Reinforce undetectability claims, platform compatibility, user counts, and the free trial to remove perceived risk.

87,000+
developers use Interview Coder
and early launch metrics showed rapid adoption
95%
success rate
of users pass their interviews
100%
undetectable
native desktop architecture
Real-time
assistance
instant solutions during interviews

See Interview Coder in Action

Watch how Interview Coder helps solve LeetCode problems during live interviews

Play

Undetectability Checklist

Run compatibility test before interviews
Use recommended Zoom version settings
Enable advanced screen capture options
Verify native desktop architecture
Test with screen recording software

Platform Compatibility

Zoom
Supported
Google Meet
Supported
HackerRank
Supported
CodeSignal
Supported
CoderPad
Supported
Teams
Supported

User results and traction

More than 87,000 developers use Interview Coder and early launch metrics showed rapid adoption. Social proof signals that this approach helps real candidates land offers across a range of companies.

Undetectability and technical details

Our native desktop architecture avoids common detection vectors used by browser extensions. We provide a clear checklist so you can run basic checks and confirm the app will be invisible during live interviews.

Platform compatibility and limitations

We work with Zoom, HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad and other web based platforms, with a known list of app version caveats. Check the compatibility note and request a browser link if a specific desktop app is unsupported.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about solving The Number of the Smallest Unoccupied Chair and using Interview Coder during coding interviews.

Interview Coder generates complete solutions instantly with proper complexity analysis, letting you focus on explaining your approach and demonstrating problem-solving skills rather than getting stuck on implementation details during high-pressure situations.

Interview Coder - AI Interview Assistant Logo

Ready to Get Started?

Download Interview Coder now and join thousands of developers who have aced their coding interviews