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Given an array of integers, find two indices that split the array into three contiguous parts with equal sums. Return the indices or -1 if it is impossible.

๐ŸŸก Medium Coding Junior level
1Times asked
Jul 2026Last seen
Jul 2026First seen

๐Ÿ’ก Model Answer

First compute the total sum of the array. If it is not divisible by 3, return -1. Let target = total / 3. Iterate through the array while maintaining a running sum. When the running sum equals target for the first time, record that index as the end of the first part. Continue iterating; when the running sum equals 2 * target, record that index as the end of the second part. Ensure that the second index is not the last element, because the third part must contain at least one element. If both indices are found, return them; otherwise return -1. This algorithm runs in O(n) time and O(1) extra space.

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