The Nearest Value Mapper

A medium Python interview practice problem on DataDriven. Write and execute real python code with instant grading.

Domain

Python

Difficulty

medium

Seniority

L5

Problem

Given keys (list of integers) and values (list of integers), return a dict mapping each key to the value whose numeric distance is smallest. Distance is abs(key - value). When a key is equidistant from two values, break the tie by choosing the smaller value. Duplicate keys are allowed; the last occurrence wins. The returned dict uses STRING keys (e.g. key 5 becomes "5") for JSON compatibility in the test harness, with the chosen integer value.

Summary

Close enough counts. Ties go low.

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