Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence
Problem Statement
Given a number sequence, find the increasing subsequence with the highest sum. Write a method that returns the highest sum.
Example 1:
Input: {4,1,2,6,10,1,12}
Output: 32
Explanation: The increaseing sequence is {4,6,10,12}.
Please note the difference, as the LIS is {1,2,6,10,12} which has a sum of '31'.
Example 2:
Input: {-4,10,3,7,15}
Output: 25
Explanation: The increaseing sequences are {10, 15} and {3,7,15}.
Constraints:
1 <= nums.length <= 2500- -104 <= nums[i] <= 104
Basic Solution
The problem is quite similar to the "Longest Increasing Subsequence". The only difference is that, instead of finding the increasing subsequence with the maximum length, we need to find an increasing sequence with the maximum sum.
A basic brute-force solution could be to try all the subsequences of the given array. We can process one number at a time, so we have two options at any step:
- If the current number is greater than the previous number that we included, we include that number in a running sum and make a recursive call for the remaining array.
- We can skip the current number to make a recursive call for the remaining array.
The highest sum of any increasing subsequence would be the max value returned by the two recurse calls from the above two options.
Code
Here is the code:
class Solution {
public int findMSIS(int[] nums) {
return findMSISRecursive(nums, 0, -1, 0);
}
private int findMSISRecursive(
int[] nums,
int currentIndex,
int previousIndex,
int sum
) {
if (currentIndex == nums.length) return sum;
// include nums[currentIndex] if it is larger than the last included number
int s1 = sum;
if (previousIndex == -1 || nums[currentIndex] > nums[previousIndex]) s1 =
findMSISRecursive(
nums,
currentIndex + 1,
currentIndex,
sum + nums[currentIndex]
);
// excluding the number at currentIndex
int s2 = findMSISRecursive(nums, currentIndex + 1, previousIndex, sum);
return Math.max(s1, s2);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Solution msis = new Solution();
int[] nums = { 4, 1, 2, 6, 10, 1, 12 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
nums = new int[] { -4, 10, 3, 7, 15 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
}
}
The time complexity of the above algorithm is exponential
Top-down Dynamic Programming with Memoization
We can use memoization to overcome the overlapping subproblems.
The three changing values for our recursive function are the current index, the previous index, and the sum. An efficient way of storing the results of the subproblems could be a hash-table whose key would be a string (currentIndex + "|" + previousIndex + "|" + sum).
Here is the code:
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
class Solution {
public int findMSIS(int[] nums) {
Map<String, Integer> dp = new HashMap<>();
return findMSISRecursive(dp, nums, 0, -1, 0);
}
private int findMSISRecursive(
Map<String, Integer> dp,
int[] nums,
int currentIndex,
int previousIndex,
int sum
) {
if (currentIndex == nums.length) return sum;
String subProblemKey = currentIndex + "-" + previousIndex + "-" + sum;
if (!dp.containsKey(subProblemKey)) {
// include nums[currentIndex] if it is larger than the last included number
int s1 = sum;
if (previousIndex == -1 || nums[currentIndex] > nums[previousIndex]) s1 =
findMSISRecursive(
dp,
nums,
currentIndex + 1,
currentIndex,
sum + nums[currentIndex]
);
// excluding the number at currentIndex
int s2 = findMSISRecursive(
dp,
nums,
currentIndex + 1,
previousIndex,
sum
);
dp.put(subProblemKey, Math.max(s1, s2));
}
return dp.get(subProblemKey);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Solution msis = new Solution();
int[] nums = { 4, 1, 2, 6, 10, 1, 12 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
nums = new int[] { -4, 10, 3, 7, 15 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
nums = new int[] { 1, 3, 8, 4, 14, 6, 14, 1, 9, 4, 13, 3, 11, 17, 29 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
}
}
Bottom-up Dynamic Programming
The above algorithm tells us two things:
- If the number at the current index is bigger than the number at the previous index, we include that number in the sum for an increasing sequence up to the current index.
- But if there is a maximum sum increasing subsequence (MSIS), without including the number at the current index, we take that.
So we need to find all the increasing subsequences for a number at index i, from all the previous numbers (i.e. numbers till index i-1), to find MSIS.
If i represents the currentIndex and 'j' represents the previousIndex, our recursive formula would look like:
if num[i] > num[j] => dp[i] = dp[j] + num[i] if there is no bigger MSIS for 'i'
Let's draw this visually for {-4,10,3,7,15}. Start with a subsequence of length '1', as every number can represent an MSIS:


From the above visualization, we can clearly see that the maximum sum of any increasing subsequence is '25' -- as shown by dp[4].
Here is the code for our bottom-up dynamic programming approach:
class Solution {
public int findMSIS(int[] nums) {
int[] dp = new int[nums.length];
dp[0] = nums[0];
int maxSum = nums[0];
for (int i = 1; i < nums.length; i++) {
dp[i] = nums[i];
for (int j = 0; j < i; j++) {
if (nums[i] > nums[j] && dp[i] < dp[j] + nums[i]) dp[i] =
dp[j] + nums[i];
}
maxSum = Math.max(maxSum, dp[i]);
}
return maxSum;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Solution msis = new Solution();
int[] nums = { 4, 1, 2, 6, 10, 1, 12 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
nums = new int[] { -4, 10, 3, 7, 15 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
nums = new int[] { 1, 3, 8, 4, 14, 6, 14, 1, 9, 4, 13, 3, 11, 17, 29 };
System.out.println(msis.findMSIS(nums));
}
}
The time complexity of the above algorithm is
🤖 Don't fully get this? Learn it with Claude
Stuck on Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence? Open Claude, copy a block below, and it'll teach you this exact concept — visually and interactively.
Progressively stronger hints — you still solve it.
I'm working on the problem **Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence** (DSA). Give me a HINT LADDER: start with the tiniest nudge, then wait. Only reveal the next, stronger hint when I ask. Do NOT show the full solution unless I type 'show solution'. Keep me doing the thinking. If you're unsure or a claim isn't standard, say so and reason from first principles instead of guessing.
See the technique, not just code.
Explain the optimal approach to **Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence** with a VISUAL walkthrough: trace it on a small concrete example using ASCII art / a step-by-step diagram, narrate what changes each step, then give time & space complexity with a one-line derivation. If you're unsure or a claim isn't standard, say so and reason from first principles instead of guessing.
Catch bugs, edge cases, sub-optimality.
I'll paste my solution to **Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence**. Review it for correctness, missed edge cases, and time/space complexity, then coach me toward the optimal — don't just rewrite it. Ask me to paste my code now. If you're unsure or a claim isn't standard, say so and reason from first principles instead of guessing.
Lock in recognition with look-alikes.
Give me 2 problems that use the SAME underlying pattern as **Solution Maximum Sum Increasing Subsequence**. For each, let me attempt first, then review my answer and name the trigger signal that reveals the pattern. If you're unsure or a claim isn't standard, say so and reason from first principles instead of guessing.