#0262

Largest Rectangle in Histogram

HardDSA40 min25 XP

Problem

Given bar heights, return the maximum rectangular area using contiguous bars.

Why This Matters

This is the advanced monotonic-stack problem that proves stacks can store unresolved boundaries, not just values.

Function Signature

def largest_rectangle_area(heights):

Examples

Example 1

Inputheights = [2,1,5,6,2,3]

Output10

Bars 5 and 6 form area 5 * 2 = 10.

Constraints

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

CodePython

def largest_rectangle_area(heights):
    """
    Input example: heights = [2,1,5,6,2,3]
    Return: 10
    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 largest_rectangle_area(heights):
    """
    Input example: heights = [2,1,5,6,2,3]
    Return: 10
    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

Classic histogram

Input[2,1,5,6,2,3]

Expected10

The best rectangle spans the bars with heights 5 and 6.

Two bars

Input[2,4]

Expected4

The best area is either height 4 width 1 or height 2 width 2.

Hidden Test Categories

increasing heightsdecreasing heightsall equal heights