56. Merge Intervals [Medium]

/**
 * 自己的代码，思路：
 * 先将intervals中的区间按照start从小到大排序（这里快排写起来有一点tricky，要始终记得intervals里的元素是数组，要分别给元素的0和1位置赋值，才能实现元素的赋值）
 * 再从左到右扫描，根据前一区间的end和后一区间的start的大小比较，确定是否能合并为一个区间
 * Runtime: 2 ms, faster than 99.74%
 * Memory Usage: 41.8 MB, less than 42.56% 
 */
class Solution {

    public int[][] merge(int[][] intervals) {
        List<int[]> resList = new ArrayList(); // create resList instead of resArray, because of unknown length of resArray
        resList.add(intervals[0]); // initiate resList
        quickSort(intervals, 0, intervals.length - 1); // sort intervals by the value of start in each interval
        // merge intervals
        for (int i = 1; i < intervals.length; i++) {
            int[] preInterval = resList.get(resList.size() - 1);
            if (preInterval[1] >= intervals[i][0]) { // merge into existing interval
                
                preInterval[1] = Math.max(preInterval[1], intervals[i][1]);
            } else { // add a new interval
                resList.add(intervals[i]);
            }
        }
        // turn resList int resArray 
        /* can be "return resList.toArray(new int[resList.size()][]);" */
        int[][] res = new int[resList.size()][];
        for (int i = 0; i < res.length; i++) {
            res[i] = resList.get(i);
        }
        return res;
    }
    
    // sort intervals by the value of start in each interval
    private void quickSort(int[][] intervals, int start, int end) {
        if (start >= end) {
            return;
        }
        int left = start, right = end, mid = (start + end) / 2, pivotStart = intervals[mid][0], pivotEnd = intervals[mid][1];
        intervals[mid][0] = intervals[right][0];
        intervals[mid][1] = intervals[right][1];
        while (left < right) {
            while (left < right && intervals[left][0] <= pivotStart) {
                left++;
            }
            intervals[right][0] = intervals[left][0];
            intervals[right][1] = intervals[left][1];
            while (left < right && intervals[right][0] >= pivotStart) {
                right--;
            }
            intervals[left][0] = intervals[right][0];
            intervals[left][1] = intervals[right][1];
        }
        intervals[left][0] = pivotStart;
        intervals[left][1] = pivotEnd;
        quickSort(intervals, start, left - 1);
        quickSort(intervals, left + 1, end);
    }

}