Find the largest 3^x that <= n, subtract that from n and repeat the process. x should be monotonically decreasing, otherwise we have duplicate terms. e.g. 12 = 32 + 31 true e.g. 21 = 32 + 32+ 31 false
You are given two arrays of integers nums1 and nums2, possibly of different lengths. The values in the arrays are between 1 and 6, inclusive.
In one operation, you can change any integer’s value in any of the arrays to any value between 1 and 6, inclusive.
Return the minimum number of operations required to make the sum of values in nums1 equal to the sum of values in nums2. Return -1โโโโโ if it is not possible to make the sum of the two arrays equal.
Example 1:
Input: nums1 = [1,2,3,4,5,6], nums2 = [1,1,2,2,2,2]
Output: 3
Explanation: You can make the sums of nums1 and nums2 equal with 3 operations. All indices are 0-indexed.
- Change nums2[0] to 6. nums1 = [1,2,3,4,5,6], nums2 = [6,1,2,2,2,2].
- Change nums1[5] to 1. nums1 = [1,2,3,4,5,1], nums2 = [6,1,2,2,2,2].
- Change nums1[2] to 2. nums1 = [1,2,2,4,5,1], nums2 = [6,1,2,2,2,2].
Example 2:
Input: nums1 = [1,1,1,1,1,1,1], nums2 = [6]
Output: -1
Explanation: There is no way to decrease the sum of nums1 or to increase the sum of nums2 to make them equal.
Example 3:
Input: nums1 = [6,6], nums2 = [1]
Output: 3
Explanation: You can make the sums of nums1 and nums2 equal with 3 operations. All indices are 0-indexed.
- Change nums1[0] to 2. nums1 = [2,6], nums2 = [1].
- Change nums1[1] to 2. nums1 = [2,2], nums2 = [1].
- Change nums2[0] to 4. nums1 = [2,2], nums2 = [4].
Constraints:
1 <= nums1.length, nums2.length <= 105
1 <= nums1[i], nums2[i] <= 6
Solution: Greedy
Assuming sum(nums1) < sum(nums2), sort both arrays * scan nums1 from left to right, we need to increase the value form the smallest one. * scan nums2 from right to left, we need to decrease the value from the largest one. Each time, select the one with the largest delta to change.
e.g. nums1[i] = 2, nums[j] = 4, delta1 = 6 – 2 = 4, delta2 = 4 – 1 = 3, Increase 2 to 6 instead of decreasing 4 to 1.
Time complexity: O(mlogm + nlogn) Space complexity: O(1)
You are given two strings word1 and word2. You want to construct a string merge in the following way: while either word1 or word2 are non-empty, choose one of the following options:
If word1 is non-empty, append the first character in word1 to merge and delete it from word1.
For example, if word1 = "abc" and merge = "dv", then after choosing this operation, word1 = "bc" and merge = "dva".
If word2 is non-empty, append the first character in word2 to merge and delete it from word2.
For example, if word2 = "abc" and merge = "", then after choosing this operation, word2 = "bc" and merge = "a".
Return the lexicographically largestmerge you can construct.
A string a is lexicographically larger than a string b (of the same length) if in the first position where a and b differ, a has a character strictly larger than the corresponding character in b. For example, "abcd" is lexicographically larger than "abcc" because the first position they differ is at the fourth character, and d is greater than c.
Example 1:
Input: word1 = "cabaa", word2 = "bcaaa"
Output: "cbcabaaaaa"
Explanation: One way to get the lexicographically largest merge is:
- Take from word1: merge = "c", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "bcaaa"
- Take from word2: merge = "cb", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "caaa"
- Take from word2: merge = "cbc", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "aaa"
- Take from word1: merge = "cbca", word1 = "baa", word2 = "aaa"
- Take from word1: merge = "cbcab", word1 = "aa", word2 = "aaa"
- Append the remaining 5 a's from word1 and word2 at the end of merge.
word1 and word2 consist only of lowercase English letters.
Solution: Greedy
Always take a single char from the largest word. (NOT just the current char).
E.g. ans = “”, w1 = “cabba”, w2 = “bcaaa” w1 > w2, take from w1 ans = “c”, w1 = “abba”, w2 = “bcaaa” w1 < w2, take from w2 ans = “cb”, w1 = “abba”, w2 = “caaa” w1 < w2, take from w2 ans = “cbc”, w1 = “abba”, w2 = “aaa” w1 > w2, take from w1. Note: both start with “a”, but we need to compare the entire word. ans = “cbca”, w1 = “bba”, w2 = “aaa” w1 > w2, take from w1 ans = “cbcab”, w1 = “ba”, w2 = “aaa” …
Time complexity: O(min(m,n)^2) Space complexity: O(1)
You are playing a solitaire game with three piles of stones of sizes aโโโโโโ, b,โโโโโโ and cโโโโโโ respectively. Each turn you choose two different non-empty piles, take one stone from each, and add 1 point to your score. The game stops when there are fewer than two non-empty piles (meaning there are no more available moves).
Given three integers aโโโโโ, b,โโโโโ and cโโโโโ, return themaximumscore you can get.
Example 1:
Input: a = 2, b = 4, c = 6
Output: 6
Explanation: The starting state is (2, 4, 6). One optimal set of moves is:
- Take from 1st and 3rd piles, state is now (1, 4, 5)
- Take from 1st and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 4, 4)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 3, 3)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 2, 2)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 1, 1)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 0, 0)
There are fewer than two non-empty piles, so the game ends. Total: 6 points.
Example 2:
Input: a = 4, b = 4, c = 6
Output: 7
Explanation: The starting state is (4, 4, 6). One optimal set of moves is:
- Take from 1st and 2nd piles, state is now (3, 3, 6)
- Take from 1st and 3rd piles, state is now (2, 3, 5)
- Take from 1st and 3rd piles, state is now (1, 3, 4)
- Take from 1st and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 3, 3)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 2, 2)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 1, 1)
- Take from 2nd and 3rd piles, state is now (0, 0, 0)
There are fewer than two non-empty piles, so the game ends. Total: 7 points.
Example 3:
Input: a = 1, b = 8, c = 8
Output: 8
Explanation: One optimal set of moves is to take from the 2nd and 3rd piles for 8 turns until they are empty.
After that, there are fewer than two non-empty piles, so the game ends.
Constraints:
1 <= a, b, c <= 105
Solution 1: Greedy
Take two stones (one each) from the largest two piles, until one is empty.
Time complexity: O(n) Space complexity: O(1)
C++
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classSolution{
public:
intmaximumScore(inta,intb,intc){
array<int,3>s{a,b,c};
sort(begin(s),end(s));
intans=0;
while(s[1]--&& s[2]--) {
++ans;
sort(begin(s),end(s));
}
returnans;
}
};
Solution 2: Math
First, let’s assuming a <= b <= c. There are two conditions: 1. a + b <= c, we can pair c with a first and then b. Total pairs is (a + b + (a + b)) / 2 2. a + b > c, we can pair c with a, b “evenly”, and then pair a with b, total pairs is (a + b + c) / 2
Given a string s consisting only of characters 'a', 'b', and 'c'. You are asked to apply the following algorithm on the string any number of times:
Pick a non-empty prefix from the string s where all the characters in the prefix are equal.
Pick a non-empty suffix from the string s where all the characters in this suffix are equal.
The prefix and the suffix should not intersect at any index.
The characters from the prefix and suffix must be the same.
Delete both the prefix and the suffix.
Return the minimum length of safter performing the above operation any number of times (possibly zero times).
Example 1:
Input: s = "ca"
Output: 2
Explanation: You can't remove any characters, so the string stays as is.
Example 2:
Input: s = "cabaabac"
Output: 0
Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
- Take prefix = "c" and suffix = "c" and remove them, s = "abaaba".
- Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "baab".
- Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "b" and remove them, s = "aa".
- Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "".
Example 3:
Input: s = "aabccabba"
Output: 3
Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
- Take prefix = "aa" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "bccabb".
- Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "bb" and remove them, s = "cca".
Constraints:
1 <= s.length <= 105
s only consists of characters 'a', 'b', and 'c'.
Solution: Two Pointers + Greedy
Delete all the chars for each prefix and suffix pair.
