LeetCode #1979 — EASY

Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array

Build confidence with an intuition-first walkthrough focused on array fundamentals.

The Problem

Problem Statement

Given an integer array nums, return the greatest common divisor of the smallest number and largest number in nums.

The greatest common divisor of two numbers is the largest positive integer that evenly divides both numbers.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [2,5,6,9,10]
Output: 2
Explanation:
The smallest number in nums is 2.
The largest number in nums is 10.
The greatest common divisor of 2 and 10 is 2.

Example 2:

Input: nums = [7,5,6,8,3]
Output: 1
Explanation:
The smallest number in nums is 3.
The largest number in nums is 8.
The greatest common divisor of 3 and 8 is 1.

Example 3:

Input: nums = [3,3]
Output: 3
Explanation:
The smallest number in nums is 3.
The largest number in nums is 3.
The greatest common divisor of 3 and 3 is 3.

Constraints:

2 <= nums.length <= 1000
1 <= nums[i] <= 1000

Step 01

Brute Force Baseline

Problem summary: Given an integer array nums, return the greatest common divisor of the smallest number and largest number in nums. The greatest common divisor of two numbers is the largest positive integer that evenly divides both numbers.

Baseline thinking

Start with the most direct exhaustive search. That gives a correctness anchor before optimizing.

Pattern signal: Array · Math

Example 1

[2,5,6,9,10]

Example 2

[7,5,6,8,3]

Example 3

[3,3]

Core Insight

What unlocks the optimal approach

Find the minimum and maximum in one iteration. Let them be mn and mx.
Try all the numbers in the range [1, mn] and check the largest number which divides both of them.

Interview move: turn each hint into an invariant you can check after every iteration/recursion step.

Step 03

Algorithm Walkthrough

Iteration Checklist

Define state (indices, window, stack, map, DP cell, or recursion frame).
Apply one transition step and update the invariant.
Record answer candidate when condition is met.
Continue until all input is consumed.

Use the first example testcase as your mental trace to verify each transition.

Step 04

Edge Cases

Minimum Input

Single element / shortest valid input

Validate boundary behavior before entering the main loop or recursion.

Duplicates & Repeats

Repeated values / repeated states

Decide whether duplicates should be merged, skipped, or counted explicitly.

Extreme Constraints

Upper-end input sizes

Re-check complexity target against constraints to avoid time-limit issues.

Invalid / Corner Shape

Empty collections, zeros, or disconnected structures

Handle special-case structure before the core algorithm path.

Step 05

Full Annotated Code

Source-backed implementations are provided below for direct study and interview prep.

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1979: Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array
class Solution {
    public int findGCD(int[] nums) {
        int a = 1, b = 1000;
        for (int x : nums) {
            a = Math.max(a, x);
            b = Math.min(b, x);
        }
        return gcd(a, b);
    }

    private int gcd(int a, int b) {
        return b == 0 ? a : gcd(b, a % b);
    }
}

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1979: Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array
func findGCD(nums []int) int {
	a, b := slices.Max(nums), slices.Min(nums)
	return gcd(a, b)
}

func gcd(a, b int) int {
	if b == 0 {
		return a
	}
	return gcd(b, a%b)
}

# Accepted solution for LeetCode #1979: Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array
class Solution:
    def findGCD(self, nums: List[int]) -> int:
        return gcd(max(nums), min(nums))

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1979: Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array
impl Solution {
    pub fn find_gcd(nums: Vec<i32>) -> i32 {
        let min_val = *nums.iter().min().unwrap();
        let max_val = *nums.iter().max().unwrap();
        gcd(min_val, max_val)
    }
}

fn gcd(mut a: i32, mut b: i32) -> i32 {
    while b != 0 {
        let temp = b;
        b = a % b;
        a = temp;
    }
    a
}

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1979: Find Greatest Common Divisor of Array
function findGCD(nums: number[]): number {
    const min = Math.min(...nums);
    const max = Math.max(...nums);
    return gcd(min, max);
}

function gcd(a: number, b: number): number {
    if (b == 0) {
        return a;
    }
    return gcd(b, a % b);
}

Step 06

Interactive Study Demo

Use this to step through a reusable interview workflow for this problem.

Custom checkpoints (one per line)

Press Step or Run All to begin.

Step 07

Complexity Analysis

Time

O(n)

Space

O(1)

Approach Breakdown

BRUTE FORCE

O(n²) time

O(1) space

Two nested loops check every pair or subarray. The outer loop fixes a starting point, the inner loop extends or searches. For n elements this gives up to n²/2 operations. No extra space, but the quadratic time is prohibitive for large inputs.

OPTIMIZED

O(n) time

O(1) space

Most array problems have an O(n²) brute force (nested loops) and an O(n) optimal (single pass with clever state tracking). The key is identifying what information to maintain as you scan: a running max, a prefix sum, a hash map of seen values, or two pointers.

Shortcut: If you are using nested loops on an array, there is almost always an O(n) solution. Look for the right auxiliary state.

Coach Notes

Common Mistakes

Review these before coding to avoid predictable interview regressions.

Off-by-one on range boundaries

Wrong move: Loop endpoints miss first/last candidate.

Usually fails on: Fails on minimal arrays and exact-boundary answers.

Fix: Re-derive loops from inclusive/exclusive ranges before coding.

Overflow in intermediate arithmetic

Wrong move: Temporary multiplications exceed integer bounds.

Usually fails on: Large inputs wrap around unexpectedly.

Fix: Use wider types, modular arithmetic, or rearranged operations.