Custom Sort by Absolute Value and Sign
PYTHON coding challenge · Difficulty: easy · Topic: Sorting with Custom Comparators · +50 XP
You are given a list of integers. Sort them in ascending order first by their absolute value, and for numbers with the same absolute value, place the negative number before the positive one. This is a common requirement when normalizing data for analytics pipelines where magnitude matters more than sign.
Example Input
`
nums = [ -3, 2, -1, 4, 1, -2 ]
`
Expected Output
`
[-1, 1, -2, 2, -3, 4]
`
What this PYTHON challenge teaches you
“Custom Sort by Absolute Value and Sign” is a easy-level PYTHON challenge focused on Sorting with Custom Comparators. Working through it gives you hands-on practice with sorting, custom comparator, key function — the kind of transformation you are asked to write in real data engineering work and in technical interviews. You can solve it directly in the browser: the dataset is pre-loaded, so you write the query or DataFrame code, run it, and compare your output against the expected result immediately.
Concepts covered
- sorting
- custom comparator
- key function
How to approach it
If you get stuck, work through these steps in order before looking at a full solution — each one narrows the problem down:
- 1 ≤ len(nums) ≤ 100000
- nums[i] ∈ [−10^9, 10^9]
- Return a list of the same integers sorted according to the rule.
How to practise it on PySpark.in
Open the challenge, write your Python code in the editor and press Run to execute it against the sample dataset. Submitting checks your output against every test case, including hidden ones, so you find out straight away whether your logic holds up. You can retry as often as you like, and each solved challenge adds to your XP.
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Helpful resources
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install Spark or a database to solve this?
No. The PYTHON environment runs in your browser with the sample data already loaded, so there is nothing to install or configure.
Is this challenge free?
Yes - the problem, the sample dataset, the hints and unlimited test runs are free.
What level is it?
It is rated easy and covers Sorting with Custom Comparators.