Find the Kth Highest Reading in a Sensor Batch

Implement kthHighestReading

A batch of sensor readings arrives as an unordered list. Report the k-th highest reading — the value that would sit in position k if the readings were sorted from highest to lowest. Repeated readings occupy separate positions, so a reading that appears twice can hold two ranks.

Sorting the whole batch answers the question but orders far more than is needed. A min-heap capped at k entries keeps exactly the k highest readings seen so far, with the k-th highest always sitting at its root.

Example 1:

Input: readings = [7,2,9,4,11], k = 2

Output: 9

Example 2:

Input: readings = [6,6,2,8,8,1], k = 3

Output: 6

Example 3:

Input: readings = [-4,-9,-1], k = 3

Output: -9

+ 10 hidden test cases run on Submit.

Constraints:

  • ●1 ≤ k ≤ readings.length ≤ 100
  • ●-1000 ≤ readings[i] ≤ 1000
  • ●Readings may repeat; a repeated value counts once for every time it appears when ranking (the ranking is by position in the sorted order, not by distinct values)

readings =

[7, 2, 9, 4, 11]

k =

2