{"id":"staircase-requires-both-row-and-column-sort","text":"The staircase traversal's correctness depends on columns being sorted descending (to justify counting `m - row` cells at once); row-only sorting would make the O(m+n) approach incorrect.","truth_value":"IN","source":"entries/2026/06/06/count-negative-numbers-in-a-sorted-matrix-solution.md","source_url":"","source_hash":"","justifications":[],"dependents":[],"metadata":{},"created_at":"","updated_at":"","reviewed_at":"","verified_at":"","retracted_at":"","explanation":{"steps":[{"node":"staircase-requires-both-row-and-column-sort","truth_value":"IN","reason":"premise"}]}}