40.Rotate an Array in Python | Left & Right Rotation by K Steps
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to rotate an array to the left or right by k steps in Python — step by step, without using slicing shortcuts.
👉 What you’ll learn:
The difference between left rotation and right rotation
How to implement both manually using loops & modulo
Step-by-step dry run explanation
Common interview variations of array rotation
💡 This is a must-know coding interview question for Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA).
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🚀 Program: Rotate an Array by K Steps
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def rotate_array(arr, k, direction="right"):
n = len(arr) # Length of array
if n == 0: # Edge case: empty array
return arr
k = k % n # Normalize k
rotated = [0] * n
for i in range(n):
if direction == "right":
Right rotation
new_index = (i + k) % n
else:
Left rotation
new_index = (i - k) % n
rotated[new_index] = arr[i]
return rotated
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✅ Example usage
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arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
print("Right Rotation by 3:", rotate_array(arr, 3, "right"))
[5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4]
print("Left Rotation by 3:", rotate_array(arr, 3, "left"))
[4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3]
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