Formatted question description: https://leetcode.ca/all/1877.html

# 1877. Minimize Maximum Pair Sum in Array

Medium

## Description

The pair sum of a pair (a,b) is equal to a + b. The maximum pair sum is the largest pair sum in a list of pairs.

• For example, if we have pairs (1,5), (2,3), and (4,4), the maximum pair sum would be max(1+5, 2+3, 4+4) = max(6, 5, 8) = 8.

Given an array nums of even length n, pair up the elements of nums into n / 2 pairs such that:

• Each element of nums is in exactly one pair, and
• The maximum pair sum is minimized.

Return the minimized maximum pair sum after optimally pairing up the elements.

Example 1:

Input: nums = [3,5,2,3]

Output: 7

Explanation: The elements can be paired up into pairs (3,3) and (5,2).

The maximum pair sum is max(3+3, 5+2) = max(6, 7) = 7.

Example 2:

Input: nums = [3,5,4,2,4,6]

Output: 8

Explanation: The elements can be paired up into pairs (3,5), (4,4), and (6,2).

The maximum pair sum is max(3+5, 4+4, 6+2) = max(8, 8, 8) = 8.

Constraints:

• n == nums.length
• 2 <= n <= 10^5
• n is even.
• 1 <= nums[i] <= 10^5

## Solution

Sort the array nums and use two pointers from the two ends of the array to generate all pairs. Loop over all pairs and calculate the maximum pair sum. In this case, the maximum pair sum is minimized.

class Solution {
public int minPairSum(int[] nums) {
Arrays.sort(nums);
int maxSum = 0;
int left = 0, right = nums.length - 1;
while (left < right) {
int sum = nums[left] + nums[right];
maxSum = Math.max(maxSum, sum);
left++;
right--;
}
return maxSum;
}
}