LeetCode 11 - Container With Most Water - 2022.12.31 solution

class Solution:
    def maxArea(self, height: List[int]) -> int:
        """ How to solve it: You can have two pointers advancing from the outside in.  The tricky thing is
        knowing how to decide which pointer to advance inwards.  I think the key insight is to realize that any
        *better* combination that you can find by moving inwards *must* involve the *taller* of the two walls
        staying, while the *shorter* of the two walls moves inwards.  The shorter wall is the limiting factor
        that limits the current water and would continue to limit any taller wall on the other side.
        """
        l = 0
        r = len(height) - 1
        max_water = 0
        while l < r:
            max_water = max(max_water, (r - l) * min(height[l], height[r]))
            if height[l] <= height[r]:
                l += 1
            else:
                r -= 1
        return max_water