Python Challenge - Find Xth Number In Order

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def getX(x, nums):

  nums.sort()

  return(nums[x-1])

print(getX(2, [6, 3, -1, 5]))

I get the following error:

“Tests failed to run due to an error: “list index out of range”. Check your code and try again.”

What triggers this error? 1 is in the range (0,1,2,3).

Your code doesn’t include a necessary component:

If the input x is greater than the length of the list, or nums is empty, return 0 .

When you click the Test Code button, your code is run with 10 test cases. Evidently some of those cases include a value for x that is out of range (greater than the length of the list).

1 Like

Thanks! I’ll try to read more carefully next time.

def getX(x, nums):
  if x > len(nums) or not nums: return 0
  nums.sort()

  return(nums[x-1])

print(getX(2, [6, 3, -1, 5]))
1 Like
def getX(x, nums): if x > len(nums) or not nums: return 0 nums.sort() return nums[(x-1)] print(getX(2, [6, 3, -1, 5]))

I coded a sorting algorithm instead of using .sort()
algorithm:

Copy the list, and Create a empty list that will hold the sorted values.
For the copy, find the minimum, remove it, and append it to the list for the sorted values; repeat.

my code
def sorted_copy(nums): # O(n^2), not in-place sorting
  copy = nums.copy()
  sorted = []
  length = len(copy)
  for n in range(length): # iterates n times
    m = min(copy) #iterates between 0 and n times
    copy.remove(m) #iterates between 0 and n times
    sorted.append(m)
  return sorted

def getX(x, nums):
  sorted_nums = sorted(nums)
  length = len(sorted_nums)
  if (x > 0 and x <= length):
    return sorted_nums[x - 1]
  elif (x >= -length and x < 0):
    return sorted_nums[x]
  else:
    return 0

print(getX(2, [6, 3, -1, 5]))

I know there’s more efficient algorithms out there.
Has anyone coded a bubble sort or another sorting algorithm for this challenge?