solution to https://www.interviewstreet.com/challenges/dashboard/#problem/4e14b2cc47f78

meetingpoints.py

from math import sqrt
N = int(raw_input())
x, y = [], []
y = []
for i in xrange(N):
    temp = raw_input().split()
    x.append(int(temp[0]))
    y.append(int(temp[1]))
avg_x = sum(x) / N
avg_y = sum(y) / N
minindex, min_dist = 0, 10 ** 10
for i in xrange(N):
    dist = sqrt((avg_x - x[i]) *
        (avg_x - x[i]) + (avg_y - y[i]) * (avg_y - y[i]))
    if dist < min_dist:
        min_dist = dist
    minindex = i
out = 0
for i in xrange(N):
    out += max(abs(x[minindex] - x[i]), abs(y[minindex] - y[i]))
print out