Candy Java

There are N children standing in a line. Each child is assigned a rating value.

You are giving candies to these children subjected to the following requirements:

• Each child must have at least one candy.
• Children with a higher rating get more candies than their neighbors.

What is the minimum candies you must give?

Have you been asked this question in an interview?

Key to Solve: DP 
same idea as Trapping Rain Water Java
    1.Scan from left -> right =>
    make sure left-hand side with higher rate has more candy than their neighbors

    2.Scan from right -> left =>
    make sure left-hand side Child with higher rate has more candy than their neighbors

    3. As a result, each children has # of candy they deserve

Check the coding in detail below

public class Solution {
    public int candy(int[] ratings) {
         if(ratings.length==0) return 0;
        int len=ratings.length;
        int total=0;
        int[] candyNum=new int[len];
        candyNum[0]=1;
        //from left -> right
        //make sure right-hand side Child with higher rate
        //has more candy than their neighbors
        for(int i=1;i<len;i++){
            candyNum[i]=1;
            if(ratings[i]>ratings[i-1]){
                candyNum[i]=candyNum[i-1]+1;
            }
        }
        //from right -> left
        //make sure left-hand side Child with higher rate
        // has more candy than their neighbors
        total=candyNum[len-1];
        for(int i=len-2;i>=0;i--){

            if(ratings[i]>ratings[i+1]){
                candyNum[i]=Math.max(candyNum[i],candyNum[i+1]+1);
            }
            total+=candyNum[i];
        }
        return total;
    }
}