Find frequency of each element in a limited range array in less than O(n) time
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
Given a sorted array arr[] of positive integers, the task is to find the frequency for each element in the array. Assume all elements in the array are less than some constant M
Note: Do this without traversing the complete array. i.e. expected time complexity is less than O(n)
Examples:
Input: arr[] = [1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10]
Output:
Element 1 occurs 3 times
Element 2 occurs 1 times
Element 3 occurs 2 times
Element 5 occurs 2 times
Element 8 occurs 3 times
Element 9 occurs 2 times
Element 10 occurs 1 times
Input: arr[] = [2, 2, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 11]
Output:
Element 2 occurs 2 times
Element 6 occurs 2 times
Element 7 occurs 3 times
Element 11 occurs 1 times
[Naive Approach - 1] Using Linear Search - O(n) time and O(1) space
To solve the problem follow the below idea:
Traverse the input array and increment the frequency of the element if the current element and the previous element are the same, otherwise reset the frequency and print the element and its frequency
Follow the given steps to solve the problem:
- Initialize frequency to 1 and index to 1.
- Traverse the array from the index position and check if the current element is equal to the previous element.
- If yes, increment the frequency and index and repeat step 2. Otherwise, print the element and its frequency and repeat step 2.
- At last(corner case), print the last element and its frequency.
C++
// C++ program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
void findFrequencies(vector<int> &arr) {
int n = arr.size();
int freq = 1;
int idx = 1;
int value = arr[0];
while (idx < n) {
// check if the current value is equal to
// previous value.
if (arr[idx - 1] == arr[idx]) {
freq++;
idx++;
}
else {
cout << value << " " << freq << endl;
value = arr[idx];
idx++;
// reset the frequency
freq = 1;
}
}
// print the last value and its frequency
cout << value << " " << freq;
}
int main() {
vector<int> arr
= {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
return 0;
}
// Java program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
class GfG {
static void findFrequencies(int[] arr) {
int n = arr.length;
int freq = 1;
int idx = 1;
int value = arr[0];
while (idx < n) {
// check if the current value is equal to
// previous value.
if (arr[idx - 1] == arr[idx]) {
freq++;
idx++;
}
else {
System.out.println(value + " " + freq);
value = arr[idx];
idx++;
// reset the frequency
freq = 1;
}
}
// print the last value and its frequency
System.out.println(value + " " + freq);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] arr = {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
}
}
# Python program to count number of occurrences of
# each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
def findFrequencies(arr):
n = len(arr)
freq = 1
idx = 1
value = arr[0]
while idx < n:
# check if the current value is equal to
# previous value.
if arr[idx - 1] == arr[idx]:
freq += 1
idx += 1
else:
print(value, freq)
value = arr[idx]
idx += 1
# reset the frequency
freq = 1
# print the last value and its frequency
print(value, freq)
if __name__ == "__main__":
arr = [1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10]
findFrequencies(arr)
// C# program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
using System;
class GfG {
static void findFrequencies(int[] arr) {
int n = arr.Length;
int freq = 1;
int idx = 1;
int value = arr[0];
while (idx < n) {
// check if the current value is equal to
// previous value.
if (arr[idx - 1] == arr[idx]) {
freq++;
idx++;
}
else {
Console.WriteLine(value + " " + freq);
value = arr[idx];
idx++;
// reset the frequency
freq = 1;
}
}
// print the last value and its frequency
Console.WriteLine(value + " " + freq);
}
static void Main() {
int[] arr = {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
}
}
// JavaScript program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
function findFrequencies(arr) {
let n = arr.length;
let freq = 1;
let idx = 1;
let value = arr[0];
while (idx < n) {
// check if the current value is equal to
// previous value.
if (arr[idx - 1] === arr[idx]) {
freq++;
idx++;
}
else {
console.log(value + " " + freq);
value = arr[idx];
idx++;
// reset the frequency
freq = 1;
}
}
// print the last value and its frequency
console.log(value + " " + freq);
}
let arr = [1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10];
findFrequencies(arr);
Output1 3
2 1
3 2
5 2
8 3
9 2
10 1
[Expected Approach] Using Binary Search - O(m log(n)) time and O(1) space
The idea is to leverage the sorted nature of the array by using binary search to find the last occurrence of each unique element.
- Starting from the first element, we keep track of its value and use binary search to find the rightmost index where this value appears.
- This gives us the frequency by calculating the difference between the starting and ending indices.
- After finding the frequency of one element, we jump to the next unique element by moving our pointer beyond the last occurrence we found.
Step by step approach:
- Start with index i = 0 and get the current value val = arr[i]
- Use binary search to find the last occurrence (endIndex) of val in the array
- Calculate frequency as (endIndex - i + 1)
- Print the value and its frequency
- Update i to (endIndex + 1) to skip to the next unique element
- Repeat until we reach the end of the array
C++
// C++ program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
// It print number of
// occurrences of each element in the array.
void findFrequencies(vector<int> &arr) {
int n = arr.size();
int i = 0;
while (i<n) {
int val = arr[i];
int s = i, e = n-1;
int endIndex = i;
while (s<=e) {
int mid = s + (e-s)/2;
if (arr[mid] == val) {
endIndex = mid;
s = mid + 1;
}
else {
e = mid - 1;
}
}
int cnt = endIndex - i + 1;
cout << val << " " << cnt << endl;
// Set i to next value index
i = endIndex + 1;
}
}
int main() {
vector<int> arr
= {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
return 0;
}
// Java program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
class GfG {
// It prints number of
// occurrences of each element in the array.
static void findFrequencies(int[] arr) {
int n = arr.length;
int i = 0;
while (i < n) {
int val = arr[i];
int s = i, e = n - 1;
int endIndex = i;
while (s <= e) {
int mid = s + (e - s) / 2;
if (arr[mid] == val) {
endIndex = mid;
s = mid + 1;
}
else {
e = mid - 1;
}
}
int cnt = endIndex - i + 1;
System.out.println(val + " " + cnt);
// Set i to next value index
i = endIndex + 1;
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] arr = {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
}
}
# Python program to count number of occurrences of
# each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
# It prints number of
# occurrences of each element in the array.
def findFrequencies(arr):
n = len(arr)
i = 0
while i < n:
val = arr[i]
s, e = i, n - 1
endIndex = i
while s <= e:
mid = s + (e - s) // 2
if arr[mid] == val:
endIndex = mid
s = mid + 1
else:
e = mid - 1
cnt = endIndex - i + 1
print(val, cnt)
# Set i to next value index
i = endIndex + 1
if __name__ == "__main__":
arr = [1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10]
findFrequencies(arr)
// C# program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
using System;
class GfG {
// It prints number of
// occurrences of each element in the array.
static void findFrequencies(int[] arr) {
int n = arr.Length;
int i = 0;
while (i < n) {
int val = arr[i];
int s = i, e = n - 1;
int endIndex = i;
while (s <= e) {
int mid = s + (e - s) / 2;
if (arr[mid] == val) {
endIndex = mid;
s = mid + 1;
}
else {
e = mid - 1;
}
}
int cnt = endIndex - i + 1;
Console.WriteLine(val + " " + cnt);
// Set i to next value index
i = endIndex + 1;
}
}
static void Main() {
int[] arr = {1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10};
findFrequencies(arr);
}
}
// JavaScript program to count number of occurrences of
// each value in the array in O(n) time and O(1) space
// It prints number of
// occurrences of each element in the array.
function findFrequencies(arr) {
let n = arr.length;
let i = 0;
while (i < n) {
let val = arr[i];
let s = i, e = n - 1;
let endIndex = i;
while (s <= e) {
let mid = Math.floor(s + (e - s) / 2);
if (arr[mid] === val) {
endIndex = mid;
s = mid + 1;
}
else {
e = mid - 1;
}
}
let cnt = endIndex - i + 1;
console.log(val + " " + cnt);
// Set i to next value index
i = endIndex + 1;
}
}
let arr = [1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10];
findFrequencies(arr);
Output1 3
2 1
3 2
5 2
8 3
9 2
10 1
Time Complexity: O(m log n). Where m is the number of distinct elements in the array of size n. Since m <= M (a constant) (elements are in a limited range), the time complexity of this solution is O(log N)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Frequency of Limited Range Array Elements in Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) | Programming Tutorial
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