Python Program to Merge Intervals

Merge Intervals

On this page we will learn to create a Python Program to Merge Intervals.

In this problem we have to merge all possible overlapping intervals and print them.

  • Input : [ [1, 3], [2, 6], [8, 10], [15, 18], [18, 20] ]
  • Output : [ [1, 6], [8, 10], [15, 20] ]
  • Explanation : In this [1,3] and [2,6] are overlapping so we’ll merge then and replace with [1,6]. [8,10] will remain same as it is not overlapping with any interval. Again as we can see [15,18] is overlapping with [18,20] there for it will be replaced by [15,20]. 
Merge Intervals in Python

Algorithm

  • Start
  • Sort the given array in Ascending order
  • Initialize a variable i with value zero
  • Run a loop while i less then l – 1 (length of array – 1)
  • For each iteration check if starting point or ending point of any two consecutive intervals is same then increment the value of i by 1, skip for this iteration with keyword (continue)
  • Initialize an empty array a
  • Use a for loop to iterate from arr[i][0] to 1 + arr[i+1][1] and for each iteration append it to a
  • Use  a for loop to iterate between arr[i][0] to 1 + arr[i+1][1] using variable n
  • If the variable n is in array a then initialize a list name new_pair having value minimum of arr[i][0] and arr[i+1][0] to index zero , maximum of arr[i][1] and arr[i+1][1] at index one
  • Assign the value of new_pair to arr[i] and arr[i+1] both
  • Set the value of i to zero and break the for loop
  • Increment the value of i by 1
  • Create a new array ans and append all the distinct element of arr to ans
  • Print ans
Python Program to Merge Intervals

Python Code

Run
def merge(arr, l):
    arr.sort()
    i = 0
    while i < l - 1:
        if arr[i][0] == arr[i + 1][0] and arr[i][1] == arr[i + 1][1]:
            i += 1
            continue
        a = []
        for n in range(arr[i][0], 1 + arr[i][1]):
            a.append(n)
        for n in range(arr[i + 1][0], 1 + arr[i + 1][1]):
            if n in a:
                new_pair = [min(arr[i][0], arr[i + 1][0]), max(arr[i][1], arr[i + 1][1])]
                arr[i] = new_pair
                arr[i + 1] = new_pair
                i = 0
                break
        i += 1
    ans = []
    for i in arr:
        if i not in ans:
            ans.append(i)
    return ans


arr = [[1, 3], [2, 6], [8, 10], [15, 18], [18, 20]]
l = len(arr)
print(merge(arr, l))
Output :

[ [1, 6], [8, 10], [15, 20] ]

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6 comments on “Python Program to Merge Intervals”


  • Mathavan SG

    Thank me later –
    def interval(arr):
    arr.sort(key=lambda i:i[0])
    output=[arr[0]]

    for start,end in arr[1:]:
    last_end=output[-1][1]
    if start<= last_end:
    output[-1][1]=max(last_end,end)
    else:
    output.append([start,end])
    return output
    arr=[ [1, 3], [2, 6], [8, 10], [15, 18], [18, 20] ]
    print(interval(arr))


  • Ganesh Prasad G S

    arr = [ [1, 3], [2, 6], [8, 10], [15, 18], [18, 20] ]
    i = 0
    while i = arr[i+1][0]:
    res = [arr[i][0] , arr[i+1][1]]
    arr.pop(i)
    arr.pop(i)
    arr.insert(i,res)
    else:
    i = i + 1
    print(arr)