Relative Sort (Google Singapore)

Problem Overview

  • Task: Given two arrays of size N, find the minimum number of index-aligned swaps (swap A[i] with B[i]) to make both arrays strictly ascending.
  • Input/Output: Read N and two arrays; output an integer: minimum swaps, 0 if already sorted, or -1 if impossible.
  • Constraints: 0 < N < 11000; elements are 1 to 1e9; both arrays must end strictly increasing.
  • Context: Models pairwise data alignment where only position-wise exchanges are allowed.
  • Source: Google Singapore coding interview; common interview question/problem.

Example

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