#0270

House Robber II

MediumDSA28 min20 XP

Problem

Given non-negative house values in a circle, return the maximum money you can rob without robbing adjacent houses.

Why This Matters

This problem shows how a circular constraint can often be split into two linear DP problems.

Function Signature

def rob_circular(nums):

Examples

Example 1

Inputnums = [2, 3, 2]

Output3

The first and last houses are adjacent, so rob only the middle house.

Constraints

Return the exact requested value.
Handle edge cases cleanly.
Use the intended DSA pattern when brute force would scale poorly.

CodePython

def rob_circular(nums):
    """
    Input example: nums = [2, 3, 2]
    Return: 3
    Return the value from the function so the tests can compare it. Do not print unless the prompt asks.
    """
    # write your code here
    return 0

def rob_circular(nums):
    """
    Input example: nums = [2, 3, 2]
    Return: 3
    Return the value from the function so the tests can compare it. Do not print unless the prompt asks.
    """
    # write your code here
    return 0

Visible browser tests run here when available.

Testcases2 visible / 3 hidden categories

Circle conflict

Input[2,3,2]

Expected3

Robbing both 2s is illegal because they are adjacent in the circle.

Choose middle and end

Input[1,2,3,1]

Expected4

Rob houses with values 1 and 3 in the best linear split.

Hidden Test Categories

single housetwo housesall equal values