09 Sept 2026•Go / Python / TypeScript•Easy

Maximize Sum of Array After K Negations

Maximize an array sum after negating exactly k elements, with repeated choices allowed.

View original LeetCode question

Sort ascending, negate negative values first, then use any odd leftover operation on the smallest absolute value.

complexity

O(n log n) time and language-dependent sorting space.

solution files

Go maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.go
Python maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.py
TypeScript maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.ts

Solution files

Go•maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.go

package main

import "sort"

func largestSumAfterKNegations(nums []int, k int) int {
	sort.Ints(nums)
	for index := 0; index < len(nums) && k > 0 && nums[index] < 0; index++ {
		nums[index] = -nums[index]
		k--
	}
	sum, minimum := 0, nums[0]
	for _, value := range nums {
		sum += value
		if value < minimum {
			minimum = value
		}
	}
	if k%2 == 1 {
		sum -= 2 * minimum
	}
	return sum
}

Python•maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.py

class Solution:
    def largestSumAfterKNegations(self, nums: list[int], k: int) -> int:
        nums.sort()
        for index in range(len(nums)):
            if k == class="syntax-number">0 or nums[index] >= class="syntax-number">0: break
            nums[index] = -nums[index]; k -= class="syntax-number">1
        return sum(nums) - (class="syntax-number">2 * min(nums) if k % class="syntax-number">2 else class="syntax-number">0)

TypeScript•maximize-sum-of-array-after-k-negations/solution.ts

function largestSumAfterKNegations(nums: number[], k: number): number {
  nums.sort((left, right) => left - right);
  for (let index = class="syntax-number">0; index < nums.length && k > class="syntax-number">0 && nums[index] < class="syntax-number">0; index += class="syntax-number">1, k -= class="syntax-number">1) nums[index] = -nums[index];
  let sum = nums.reduce((total, value) => total + value, class="syntax-number">0);
  if (k % class="syntax-number">2 === class="syntax-number">1) sum -= class="syntax-number">2 * Math.min(...nums);
  return sum;
}