[LeetCode#280] Wiggle Sort

Problem:

Given an unsorted array nums, reorder it in-place such that nums[0] <= nums[1] >= nums[2] <= nums[3]....

For example, given nums = [3, 5, 2, 1, 6, 4], one possible answer is [1, 6, 2, 5, 3, 4].

Analysis:

Once you encounter a new problem, you should not feel anxious with the new setting. 
Try to conclude a principle underlying it, you could find out it is extraordinarily easy.
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nums[0] <= nums[1] >= nums[2] <= nums[3]....
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For the wiggle sort, we actually have no requirments over an element's global order. 
for an element with odd index, we just need to meet following order principle:
nums[i-1] <= nums[i] >= nums[i+1]
Note: i is an odd number. 

Solution 1:
public class Solution {
    public void wiggleSort(int[] nums) {
        Arrays.sort(nums);
        int len = nums.length;
        if (len <= 2)
            return;
        for (int i = 1; i < len - 1; i = i+2) {
            int temp = nums[i];
            nums[i] = nums[i+1];
            nums[i+1] = temp;
        }
        return;
    }
}

The above solution is easy. We first guarantee the elements' order befor and after nums[i]. 
But it needs to sort the nums array first, which we could totaly abandon.
Since we only care about an odd(indexed) element's realtive order with it neighboring elements, we all just do it all the way. 
for (int i = 1; i < nums.length; i++) {
    if (i % 2 == 1) {
        if (nums[i-1] > nums[i])
            swap(nums, i, i-1);
    } else{
        if (nums[i] > nums[i-1])
            swap(nums, i, i-1);
    }
}

The invariant:
we guaratee this is no violation of wiggleSort when we reach i.
Note the start of the for loop. 
for (int i = 1; i < nums.length; i++)

Solution:

public class Solution {
    public void wiggleSort(int[] nums) {
        if (nums == null || nums.length <= 0)
            return;
        for (int i = 1; i < nums.length; i++) {
            if (i % 2 == 1) {
                if (nums[i-1] > nums[i])
                    swap(nums, i, i-1);
            } else{
                if (nums[i] > nums[i-1])
                    swap(nums, i, i-1);
            }
        }
    }
    
    
    private void swap(int[] nums, int i, int j) {
        int temp = nums[i];
        nums[i] = nums[j];
        nums[j] = temp;
    }
}