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SQL

Rank users by age (descending). Ties get the same rank.

Problem Statement

<p>Rank <code>users</code> by age (descending). Ties get the same rank.</p>

Examples

Input: users table: +----+---------+-----+ | id | name | age | +----+---------+-----+ | 1 | Alice | 20 | | 2 | Bob | 40 | | 3 | Charlie | 40 | +----+---------+-----+

Output: +---------+-----+----+ | name | age | rk | +---------+-----+----+ | Bob | 40 | 1 | | Charlie | 40 | 1 | | Alice | 20 | 3 | +---------+-----+----+

Explanation: The window function evaluates the calculation across the partition in the specified ordering.

Complexity

Time Complexity: -

Space Complexity: -

Hints

šŸ’” Hint 1: Use a window function with OVER (...) to compute values across rows related to the current row without collapsing them like GROUP BY. šŸ’” Hint 2: Check if PARTITION BY is required to split windows by category or if only an ORDER BY inside OVER (...) is needed. šŸ’” Hint 3: Structure the query as: <window_func>() OVER (PARTITION BY ... ORDER BY ...) AS <alias>;

Editorial & Approach

Problem Overview & Intuition

To solve "Window Function: RANK", we query the relational database engine using declarative SQL. The goal is to rank users by age (descending). ties get the same rank. By formulating an optimal execution plan with appropriate projection and filtering, the database engine executes the query with minimal overhead.

Step-by-Step Approach

  1. Analyze Schema: Identify the target tables, necessary foreign keys, and expected output columns.
  2. Construct Filtering & Logic: Apply row projections to isolate the requested data.
  3. Format & Order: Sort the resulting records according to specified order criteria.

Optimal Implementation (SQL)

SELECT name, age, RANK() OVER (ORDER BY age DESC) AS rk FROM users;

Complexity Analysis

Time Complexity O(N log N) for sorting or partitioning rows.
Space Complexity O(N) for intermediate group hash tables or window buffers.

Key Considerations & Edge Cases

  • Empty Tables: The query executes safely returning zero rows without syntax error.
  • NULL Values: Columns containing NULL values are properly handled by standard ANSI SQL semantics.
  • Case Sensitivity: String comparisons and keywords adhere to PostgreSQL/standard SQL rules.

Window Function: RANK

Medium

Rank users by age (descending). Ties get the same rank.

Example Scenarios
1Example 1
Input:
users table
idnameage
1Alice20
2Bob40
3Charlie40
Output:
nameagerk
Bob401
Charlie401
Alice203
Explanation:

The window function evaluates the calculation across the partition in the specified ordering.

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