Buggy python submission (verdict: Time Limit Exceeded):
N = int(input())
v_list = [int(x) for x in input().split()]
s = list(set(v_list))
s.sort()
n = 0
count = []
for i in s:
        count.append(v_list.count(i))
if len(s) > 1:

        ind = v_list.index(s[-1])


        for i in range(ind - len(v_list) + 1, ind):
                if i % 2 == ind % 2:
                        if v_list[i] != s[-1]:
                                n += 1
                else:
                        if v_list[i] != s[-2]:
                                n += 1 

else:
        n = int(N / 2)



print(n)

Fixed submission:
from collections import defaultdict
import sys
n = int(input())
v = list(map(int, input().split()))

dd_even = defaultdict(int)
dd_odd  = defaultdict(int)

# 偶数番目のヒストグラムを作る
for i in range(0, n, 2):
    dd_even[v[i]] += 1

l_even = list(dd_even.items())
l_even.sort(key= lambda x:x[1])
top_even = l_even[-1][0]
#print(l_even)

# 奇数番目のヒストグラムを作る
for i in range(1, n, 2):
    dd_odd[v[i]] += 1

l_odd = list(dd_odd.items())
l_odd.sort(key= lambda x:x[1])
#print(l_odd)
top_odd = l_odd[-1][0]

if top_even == top_odd:
    if len(l_odd) == 1: # つまり全部同じ数字のとき
        res = int(n / 2)
        print(res)
        sys.exit()
    else:
        # 2パターン試す
        l_odd_1 = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != l_odd[-2][0]]
        sum_odd_1 = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd_1)
        l_even_1 = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != top_even]
        sum_even_1 = sum(l[1] for l in l_even_1)
        sum_1 = sum_odd_1 + sum_even_1

        l_odd_2 = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != top_odd]
        sum_odd_2 = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd_2)
        l_even_2 = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != l_even[-2][0]]
        sum_even_2 = sum(l[1] for l in l_even_2)
        sum_2 = sum_odd_2 + sum_even_2

        if sum_1 < sum_2:
            print(sum_1)
        else:
            print(sum_2)
        sys.exit()
else:
    l_odd = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != top_odd]

sum_odd = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd)
#print(l_odd, sum_odd)

l_even = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != top_even]
sum_even = sum(l[1] for l in l_even)
#print(l_even, sum_even)

res = sum_odd + sum_even
print(res)

Buggy python submission (verdict: Time Limit Exceeded):
N = int(input())
v_list = [int(x) for x in input().split()]
s = list(set(v_list))
s.sort()
n = 0
count = []
for i in s:
        count.append(v_list.count(i))
if len(s) > 1:

        ind = v_list.index(s[-1])


        for i in range(ind - len(v_list) + 1, ind):
                if i % 2 == ind % 2:
                        if v_list[i] != s[-1]:
                                n += 1
                else:
                        if v_list[i] != s[-2]:
                                n += 1 

else:
        n = int(N / 2)



print(n)

Fixed submission:
from collections import defaultdict
import sys
n = int(input())
v = list(map(int, input().split()))

dd_even = defaultdict(int)
dd_odd  = defaultdict(int)

# 偶数番目のヒストグラムを作る
for i in range(0, n, 2):
    dd_even[v[i]] += 1

l_even = list(dd_even.items())
l_even.sort(key= lambda x:x[1])
top_even = l_even[-1][0]
#print(l_even)

# 奇数番目のヒストグラムを作る
for i in range(1, n, 2):
    dd_odd[v[i]] += 1

l_odd = list(dd_odd.items())
l_odd.sort(key= lambda x:x[1])
#print(l_odd)
top_odd = l_odd[-1][0]

if top_even == top_odd:
    if len(l_odd) == 1: # つまり全部同じ数字のとき
        res = int(n / 2)
        print(res)
        sys.exit()
    else:
        # 2パターン試す
        l_odd_1 = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != l_odd[-2][0]]
        sum_odd_1 = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd_1)
        l_even_1 = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != top_even]
        sum_even_1 = sum(l[1] for l in l_even_1)
        sum_1 = sum_odd_1 + sum_even_1

        l_odd_2 = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != top_odd]
        sum_odd_2 = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd_2)
        l_even_2 = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != l_even[-2][0]]
        sum_even_2 = sum(l[1] for l in l_even_2)
        sum_2 = sum_odd_2 + sum_even_2

        if sum_1 < sum_2:
            print(sum_1)
        else:
            print(sum_2)
        sys.exit()
else:
    l_odd = [l for l in l_odd if l[0] != top_odd]

sum_odd = sum(l[1] for l in l_odd)
#print(l_odd, sum_odd)

l_even = [l for l in l_even if l[0] != top_even]
sum_even = sum(l[1] for l in l_even)
#print(l_even, sum_even)

res = sum_odd + sum_even
print(res)