[codility] MinAbsSumOfTwo

Let A be a non-empty zero-indexed array consisting of N integers.

The abs sum of two for a pair of indices (P, Q) is the absolute value |A[P] + A[Q]|, for 0 ≤ P ≤ Q < N.

For example, the following array A:

  A[0] =  1
  A[1] =  4
  A[2] = -3

has pairs of indices (0, 0), (0, 1), (0, 2), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 2). 
The abs sum of two for the pair (0, 0) is A[0] + A[0] = |1 + 1| = 2. 
The abs sum of two for the pair (0, 1) is A[0] + A[1] = |1 + 4| = 5. 
The abs sum of two for the pair (0, 2) is A[0] + A[2] = |1 + (−3)| = 2. 
The abs sum of two for the pair (1, 1) is A[1] + A[1] = |4 + 4| = 8. 
The abs sum of two for the pair (1, 2) is A[1] + A[2] = |4 + (−3)| = 1. 
The abs sum of two for the pair (2, 2) is A[2] + A[2] = |(−3) + (−3)| = 6. 

Write a function:

int solution(vector<int> &A);

that, given a non-empty zero-indexed array A consisting of N integers, returns the minimal abs sum of two for any pair of indices in this array.

For example, given the following array A:

  A[0] =  1
  A[1] =  4
  A[2] = -3

the function should return 1, as explained above.

Given array A:

  A[0] = -8
  A[1] =  4
  A[2] =  5
  A[3] =-10
  A[4] =  3

the function should return |(−8) + 5| = 3.

Assume that:

• N is an integer within the range [1..100,000];
• each element of array A is an integer within the range [−1,000,000,000..1,000,000,000].

Complexity:

• expected worst-case time complexity is O(N*log(N));
• expected worst-case space complexity is O(N), beyond input storage (not counting the storage required for input arguments).

Elements of input arrays can be modified.

// you can use includes, for example:
#include <algorithm>
#include <cstdlib>

// you can write to stdout for debugging purposes, e.g.
// cout << "this is a debug message" << endl;

int solution(vector<int> &A) {
    // write your code in C++11
    sort(A.begin(), A.end());
    int size = A.size();
    int left = 0;
    int right = size - 1;
    int minimal_sum = min(abs(A[right] + A[right]), abs(A[left] + A[left]));
    for (; left < right;) {
        minimal_sum = min(abs(A[left] + A[right]), minimal_sum);
        if (abs(A[left]) < abs(A[right])) {
            right--;
            minimal_sum = min(abs(A[right] + A[right]), minimal_sum);
        }
        else {
            left++;
            minimal_sum = min(abs(A[left] + A[left]), minimal_sum);
        }
    }
    return minimal_sum;
}