K Closest Points to Origin

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Problem

Given an array of points on the X-Y plane and an integer k, return the k points closest to the origin (0, 0), in any order.

Examples

Example 1

Input:points = [[1,3],[-2,2]], k = 1

Output:[[-2,2]]

Constraints

1 <= k <= points.length <= 10^4

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How to approach it: the Heap / Priority Queue pattern

A heap keeps the minimum (or maximum) element accessible in O(1), with O(log n) insert and remove. It's the tool whenever you repeatedly need "the smallest/largest remaining item" without needing everything fully sorted.

Look for this pattern when

You need the top-k largest/smallest elements, not a full sort.
You're merging multiple sorted sequences (always take the smallest available head).
You need a running min/max/median as data streams in.

Read the full Heap / Priority Queue guide →

Video walkthroughs

Original problem on LeetCode ↗