adjacent_values_dist.rb

# you can write to stdout for debugging purposes, e.g.
# puts "this is a debug message"

# Scores 66%, not sure why.

def solution(a)
  # write your code in Ruby 2.2
  
  # Exclude any arrays which aren't long enough to have adjacent pairs
  if a.length == 0 || a.length == 1
    return 0
  end
  
  # Sort array in place so that we may more easily detect adj pairs
  # in O(n) time as opposed to O(n^3) 
  a.sort!
  pr = a[0] # Seed the previous var

  cc = 1
  pc = 0
  adjc = 0
  min = 100000000
  d = 0
  (1..(a.length - 1)).each do |i|
    # if we have something equal to the previous value we set the min to 0
    if a[i] == pr
      min = 0
      cc = cc + 1
      adjc += pc + cc - 1
    else
      d = (a[i] - pr).abs
      if(d < min)
        min = d
      end
      adjc += cc
      pc = cc
      cc = 1
    end
    pr = a[i]
  end
  return -1 if min > 100000000
  return -2 if adjc == 0
  return min
end