diff --git a/wizard-work/beam/sliding_window_max.py b/wizard-work/beam/sliding_window_max.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12fc765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/beam/sliding_window_max.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+"""Sliding window maximum (LeetCode 239).
+
+Returns the maximum of each contiguous window of size `k` over `nums`
+in O(n) time using a monotonic deque of indices.
+
+Subtle points handled:
+  - empty input / k <= 0 -> []
+  - k == 1 -> nums copy
+  - k >= len(nums) -> [max(nums)] (or [] if empty)
+  - duplicate values (deque keeps indices, not values, to handle expiry)
+  - negative numbers
+"""
+from collections import deque
+from typing import List
+
+
+def sliding_window_max(nums: List[int], k: int) -> List[int]:
+    if not nums or k <= 0:
+        return []
+    if k == 1:
+        return list(nums)
+    n = len(nums)
+    if k >= n:
+        return [max(nums)]
+
+    dq = deque()  # indices, nums[dq[0]] is current max; values strictly decreasing
+    out: List[int] = []
+    for i, x in enumerate(nums):
+        # evict indices outside window
+        while dq and dq[0] <= i - k:
+            dq.popleft()
+        # maintain decreasing values
+        while dq and nums[dq[-1]] <= x:
+            dq.pop()
+        dq.append(i)
+        if i >= k - 1:
+            out.append(nums[dq[0]])
+    return out
+
+
+def _brute(nums, k):
+    if not nums or k <= 0:
+        return []
+    return [max(nums[i:i + k]) for i in range(len(nums) - k + 1)]
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import random
+    rng = random.Random(123)
+    for _ in range(5000):
+        n = rng.randint(0, 40)
+        nums = [rng.randint(-20, 20) for _ in range(n)]
+        k = rng.randint(0, n + 3) if n else rng.randint(0, 5)
+        got = sliding_window_max(nums, k)
+        # compute expected via brute respecting edge rules
+        if not nums or k <= 0:
+            exp = []
+        elif k == 1:
+            exp = list(nums)
+        elif k >= len(nums):
+            exp = [max(nums)]
+        else:
+            exp = [max(nums[i:i + k]) for i in range(len(nums) - k + 1)]
+        assert got == exp, (nums, k, got, exp)
+    print("self-check: 5000 random cases passed")
diff --git a/wizard-work/beam/test_sliding_window_max.py b/wizard-work/beam/test_sliding_window_max.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..657cbf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/beam/test_sliding_window_max.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent))
+from sliding_window_max import sliding_window_max as f
+
+def test_basic():
+    assert f([1,3,-1,-3,5,3,6,7], 3) == [3,3,5,5,6,7]
+
+def test_k1():
+    assert f([5,4,3], 1) == [5,4,3]
+
+def test_k_large():
+    assert f([1,2,3], 5) == [3]
+
+def test_empty():
+    assert f([], 3) == []
+    assert f([1,2,3], 0) == []
+
+def test_all_equal():
+    assert f([7,7,7,7], 2) == [7,7,7]
+
+def test_negatives():
+    assert f([-1,-2,-3,-4], 2) == [-1,-2,-3]
+
+def test_single():
+    assert f([42], 1) == [42]
+    assert f([42], 5) == [42]
+
+# brute fuzz
+import random
+rng = random.Random(99)
+for _ in range(3000):
+    n = rng.randint(0, 25)
+    nums = [rng.randint(-10, 10) for _ in range(n)]
+    k = rng.randint(0, n + 2) if n else rng.randint(0, 4)
+    got = f(nums, k)
+    if not nums or k <= 0:
+        exp = []
+    elif k == 1:
+        exp = list(nums)
+    elif k >= len(nums):
+        exp = [max(nums)]
+    else:
+        exp = [max(nums[i:i+k]) for i in range(len(nums)-k+1)]
+    assert got == exp, (nums, k, got, exp)
+print("ALL TESTS PASSED")