Data Structures22 min read
Interval Structures
Handle overlapping intervals using sorting and merging patterns, common in scheduling and timelines.
David Miller
October 17, 2025
4.3k154
Intervals appear in:
- meetings
- bookings
- time ranges
Merge intervals
def merge(ints):
ints.sort()
res = [ints[0]]
for s, e in ints[1:]:
last = res[-1]
if s <= last[1]:
last[1] = max(last[1], e)
else:
res.append([s, e])
return res
print(merge([[1,3],[2,6],[8,10]]))
Graph
flowchart LR
A[1-3] --> B[2-6]
B --> C[Merged 1-6]
Remember
- sort first
- then merge overlaps
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