Time Complexity
O(n)
Sliding Window maintains a dynamic range (window) over a sequence, expanding and contracting to solve substring/subarray problems efficiently.
How it works:
1. Expand the window by moving the right pointer
2. If a condition is violated, shrink from the left
3. Track the best result seen so far
Time Complexity: O(n) — each character is visited at most twice
Space Complexity: O(min(n, alphabet))
Classic problems:
- Longest substring without repeating chars
- Minimum window substring
- Maximum sum subarray of size k
- Longest repeating character replacement
Related algorithms
Frequently asked questions
- What is Sliding Window?
- Sliding Window maintains a dynamic range (window) over a sequence, expanding and contracting to solve substring/subarray problems efficiently.
- What is the complexity of Sliding Window?
- Time (average): O(n) · Space: O(min(n, alphabet)
- Who is this Sliding Window visualizer for?
- The Sliding Window visualization targets intermediate-level learners in the Concepts category. Useful for students, interview prep, and hands-on review.
- What algorithms are related to Sliding Window?
- In the same category (Concepts) you can explore: Big O Notation, Recursion, Two Pointers. Each has an interactive visualization.