quick, bored solution to http://qandwhat.apps.runkite.com/i-failed-a-twitter-interview/

twitterinterview.py

walls = [2,5,1,3,1,2,1,7,7,6]
lmax = 0
rmax = 0
total = 0

#find rmax
for i in range(0, len(walls)):
    if walls[i] > walls[rmax]:
        rmax = i

#find lmax
for i in range(0, len(walls)):
    if walls[i] > walls[lmax] and walls[i] <= walls[rmax] and i < rmax:
		lmax = i

#ensure we have the proper ordering
if rmax < lmax:
	lmax, rmax = rmax, lmax

maxheight = walls[rmax] if walls[rmax] < walls[lmax] else walls[lmax]

l = walls[lmax + 1:rmax]

for i in l:
	total += (maxheight - i)

print total

[2,5,1,3,1,2,1,1,5,5] bamboozles it.

Doesn't work for [2,1,3,1,3]

  X X
X X X
XXXXX

Expected: 3
Result: 1