{
  "id": 3750,
  "name": "closest-equal-element-queries",
  "difficulty": "Medium",
  "link": "https://leetcode.com/problems/closest-equal-element-queries/",
  "date": "2025-03-09",
  "task_description": "You are given a **circular** array `nums` and an array `queries`. For each query `i`, you have to find the following: The **minimum** distance between the element at index `queries[i]` and **any** other index `j` in the **circular** array, where `nums[j] == nums[queries[i]]`. If no such index exists, the answer for that query should be -1. Return an array `answer` of the **same** size as `queries`, where `answer[i]` represents the result for query `i`. **Example 1:** **Input:** nums = [1,3,1,4,1,3,2], queries = [0,3,5] **Output:** [2,-1,3] **Explanation:** Query 0: The element at `queries[0] = 0` is `nums[0] = 1`. The nearest index with the same value is 2, and the distance between them is 2. Query 1: The element at `queries[1] = 3` is `nums[3] = 4`. No other index contains 4, so the result is -1. Query 2: The element at `queries[2] = 5` is `nums[5] = 3`. The nearest index with the same value is 1, and the distance between them is 3 (following the circular path: `5 -> 6 -> 0 -> 1`). **Example 2:** **Input:** nums = [1,2,3,4], queries = [0,1,2,3] **Output:** [-1,-1,-1,-1] **Explanation:** Each value in `nums` is unique, so no index shares the same value as the queried element. This results in -1 for all queries. **Constraints:** `1 <= queries.length <= nums.length <= 105` `1 <= nums[i] <= 106` `0 <= queries[i] < nums.length`",
  "test_case": [
    {
      "label": "Example 1",
      "input": "nums = [1,3,1,4,1,3,2], queries = [0,3,5]",
      "output": "[2,-1,3] "
    },
    {
      "label": "Example 2",
      "input": "nums = [1,2,3,4], queries = [0,1,2,3]",
      "output": "[-1,-1,-1,-1] "
    }
  ],
  "constraints": [
    "The minimum distance between the element at index queries[i] and any other index j in the circular array, where nums[j] == nums[queries[i]]. If no such index exists, the answer for that query should be -1.",
    "Query 0: The element at queries[0] = 0 is nums[0] = 1. The nearest index with the same value is 2, and the distance between them is 2.",
    "Query 1: The element at queries[1] = 3 is nums[3] = 4. No other index contains 4, so the result is -1.",
    "Query 2: The element at queries[2] = 5 is nums[5] = 3. The nearest index with the same value is 1, and the distance between them is 3 (following the circular path: 5 -> 6 -> 0 -> 1).",
    "1 <= queries.length <= nums.length <= 105",
    "1 <= nums[i] <= 106",
    "0 <= queries[i] < nums.length"
  ],
  "python_template": "class Solution(object):\n    def solveQueries(self, nums, queries):\n        \"\"\"\n        :type nums: List[int]\n        :type queries: List[int]\n        :rtype: List[int]\n        \"\"\"\n        ",
  "java_template": "class Solution {\n    public List<Integer> solveQueries(int[] nums, int[] queries) {\n        \n    }\n}",
  "metadata": {
    "func_name": "solveQueries"
  }
}