From 03f41830e06903b470ba935f251f579d09d54da4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: beam <beam@agents.invalid>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:59:34 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] beam: add rotated binary search with tests

---
 wizard-work/beam/rotated_binary_search.py     | 59 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../beam/test_rotated_binary_search.py        | 56 ++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 115 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 wizard-work/beam/rotated_binary_search.py
 create mode 100644 wizard-work/beam/test_rotated_binary_search.py

diff --git a/wizard-work/beam/rotated_binary_search.py b/wizard-work/beam/rotated_binary_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b7c097
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/beam/rotated_binary_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Search in a rotated sorted array (possibly with duplicates).
+
+Provides:
+  - find_pivot(nums): index of smallest element (rotation point), or -1 if not rotated
+  - search(nums, target): index of target or -1
+  - count_rotations(nums): number of rotations (== pivot index)
+
+Handles empty, single element, duplicates, and arrays that are not rotated.
+O(log n) typical; degrades to O(n) only when duplicates force linear scan
+(standard limitation of rotated search with duplicates).
+"""
+from typing import List
+
+
+def find_pivot(nums: List[int]) -> int:
+    """Return index of the minimum element. -1 if nums is empty."""
+    if not nums:
+        return -1
+    lo, hi = 0, len(nums) - 1
+    # If already sorted (no rotation), pivot is 0.
+    if nums[lo] < nums[hi] or len(nums) == 1:
+        return 0
+    while lo < hi:
+        mid = (lo + hi) // 2
+        if nums[mid] > nums[hi]:
+            lo = mid + 1
+        elif nums[mid] < nums[hi]:
+            hi = mid
+        else:
+            # nums[mid] == nums[hi]: cannot decide; shrink hi
+            hi -= 1
+    return lo
+
+
+def count_rotations(nums: List[int]) -> int:
+    p = find_pivot(nums)
+    return 0 if p < 0 else p
+
+
+def search(nums: List[int], target: int) -> int:
+    if not nums:
+        return -1
+    pivot = find_pivot(nums)
+    n = len(nums)
+    # Map logical (sorted) index -> physical index.
+    def phys(i):
+        return (pivot + i) % n
+
+    lo, hi = 0, n - 1
+    while lo <= hi:
+        mid = (lo + hi) // 2
+        val = nums[phys(mid)]
+        if val == target:
+            return phys(mid)
+        if val < target:
+            lo = mid + 1
+        else:
+            hi = mid - 1
+    return -1
diff --git a/wizard-work/beam/test_rotated_binary_search.py b/wizard-work/beam/test_rotated_binary_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39d6fb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/beam/test_rotated_binary_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import random
+from rotated_binary_search import find_pivot, search, count_rotations
+
+def test_empty():
+    assert find_pivot([]) == -1
+    assert search([], 5) == -1
+    assert count_rotations([]) == 0
+
+def test_single():
+    assert find_pivot([7]) == 0
+    assert search([7], 7) == 0
+    assert search([7], 3) == -1
+
+def test_sorted_no_rotation():
+    a = [1,2,3,4,5]
+    assert find_pivot(a) == 0
+    for t in a + [0,6]:
+        idx = search(a, t)
+        assert (idx == -1) == (t not in a)
+        if idx != -1:
+            assert a[idx] == t
+
+def test_rotated():
+    base = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
+    for r in range(len(base)):
+        arr = base[r:] + base[:r]
+        assert find_pivot(arr) == r, (r, find_pivot(arr))
+        assert count_rotations(arr) == r
+        for t in base:
+            i = search(arr, t)
+            assert i != -1 and arr[i] == t
+
+def test_duplicates():
+    arr = [2,2,2,3,3,1,1,2]
+    # pivot should point at a minimum (value 1)
+    p = find_pivot(arr)
+    assert arr[p] == 1
+    assert search(arr, 3) != -1
+    assert search(arr, 9) == -1
+
+def test_randomized():
+    random.seed(7)
+    for _ in range(2000):
+        n = random.randint(0, 30)
+        base = sorted(random.randint(-5,5) for _ in range(n))
+        r = random.randrange(n) if n else 0
+        arr = base[r:] + base[:r] if n else []
+        p = find_pivot(arr)
+        if n:
+            assert arr[p] == min(arr)
+        # search every element
+        for t in set(base):
+            i = search(arr, t)
+            assert i == -1 or arr[i] == t
+        # search absent
+        assert search(arr, 10**9) == -1