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Showing posts with the label Tips and Tricks

Minimum Days to Make Bouquets (LeetCode 1482) – Binary Search on Answer Explained

Minimum Number of Days to Make m Bouquets (LeetCode 1482) This problem is a classic example of the Binary Search on Answer pattern. Instead of searching within an array, we search for the minimum day on which it becomes possible to make the required bouquets. Initially, the problem may look confusing because it combines conditions like adjacency , grouping , and minimum constraints . But once the problem is reframed correctly, the solution becomes systematic. 🔍 Problem Understanding You are given an array bloomDay where each value represents the day a flower blooms. To make m bouquets: Each bouquet needs exactly k adjacent flowers A flower can be used only once You must minimize the number of days If it is impossible to make m bouquets, return -1 . 💡 Key Insight Instead of asking "How many bouquets can I make?" , the real question is: By day X...

Binary Search on Answer Pattern – Must Solve LeetCode Problems

Binary Search on Answer Pattern (Complete Practice Guide) Binary Search on Answer is a powerful problem-solving pattern frequently used in coding interviews and competitive programming. Instead of searching inside an array, we perform binary search on the range of possible answers . Minimum or maximum value is asked Answer lies within a numeric range A feasibility function exists Feasibility is monotonic 📌 LeetCode Problems Using Binary Search on Answer Problem Difficulty Core Idea 1283 – Find the Smallest Divisor Given a Threshold Easy Binary search on divisor value 1011 – Capacity To Ship Packages Within D Days ...

LeetCode 424 Explained: Longest Repeating Character Replacement Using Sliding Window (Python)

LeetCode 424 – Longest Repeating Character Replacement (Sliding Window) Today, I solved another LeetCode problem, but this one truly clicked only after watching an intuition-based explanation. I followed this YouTube video to understand the thought process behind the solution: 👉 Watch the intuition video here Initially, the problem felt tricky because it mixes string manipulation with window resizing logic. But once I understood why sliding window works here , the implementation became much clearer. 🧠 Problem Intuition The goal is to find the longest substring that can be converted into a string of repeating characters by replacing at most k characters. Instead of checking all substrings (which would be inefficient), we use a sliding window approach. Inside the window: We track the frequency of each character. We keep note of the most frequent character in the window. If the number of characters to replace exceeds k , we shrink the window. The ke...

Maximum Average Subarray I – Sliding Window & Prefix Sum Optimization (LeetCode Explained)

Maximum Average Subarray I – Sliding Window Optimization Explained While solving LeetCode – Maximum Average Subarray I , I initially implemented a straightforward sliding window solution. Although the logic was correct, it resulted in a Time Limit Exceeded (TLE) error. This problem became a good learning example of why optimization matters and how prefix sums can drastically improve performance. Initial Approach (Naive Sliding Window) My first solution calculated the average of every window of size k by slicing the array and computing the sum each time. Array slicing takes O(k) Summing also takes O(k) This happens for each window → O(n) times Overall time complexity becomes O(n × k) , which causes TLE for large inputs. This solution works logically but is inefficient due to repeated recalculation of sums. Optimized Approach Using Prefix Sum To avoid recalculating sums, I switched to using a prefix sum array . Each index in the prefix array stores...

Container With Most Water in Python: Optimal Two Pointer Solution Explained

Problem Overview In the Container With Most Water problem, you are given an array where each element represents the height of a vertical line drawn at that index. The goal is to find two lines that, together with the x-axis, form a container capable of holding the maximum amount of water. Problem Visualization Each value in the array represents a vertical line. The water trapped between any two lines depends on the distance between them (width) and the shorter of the two lines (height). #source - Leetcode In the diagram above, the highlighted lines form the container that holds the maximum water. Even though some lines are taller, the distance between them is smaller, resulting in less area. Key Insight The amount of water a container can store is calculated using: area = min(height[left], height[right]) × (right - left) As the pointers move inward, the width always decreases. Therefore, the onl...

Squares of a Sorted Array in Python: Two Pointer O(n) Solution Explained

Problem Overview The Squares of a Sorted Array problem provides a sorted integer array that may contain negative and positive numbers. The task is to return a new array consisting of the squares of each number, sorted in non-decreasing order. Why the Naive Approach Is Not Optimal A simple solution is to square every element and then sort the resulting array. While this works correctly, it results in a time complexity of O(n log n) , which is not optimal for this problem. Key Insight Squaring the numbers breaks the original sorted order because large negative values can produce larger squares than positive values. However, the largest squared value will always come from one of the two ends of the array. Optimal Approach: Two Pointers with Reverse Fill To achieve an O(n) solution, we use the two-pointer technique along with a reverse write strategy. Two pointers are placed at the beginning and end of the ...

LeetCode 189: Rotate Array Explained (In-Place O(1) Space Solution)

Rotate Array – LeetCode 189 (In-Place O(1) Space Solution) The Rotate Array problem from LeetCode 189 is a classic array manipulation question frequently asked in coding interviews. The goal is to rotate an array to the right by k steps while modifying the array in-place . This problem helps build a strong understanding of array indexing, space optimization, and algorithmic thinking. Problem Statement Given an integer array nums , rotate the array to the right by k steps. The rotation must be done in-place, meaning no new array should be returned. Input: nums = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7], k = 3 Output: [5,6,7,1,2,3,4] Key Observations If k is greater than the array length, rotation repeats We can optimize using k = k % n Extra memory usage should be minimized Approach 1: Brute Force Rotation A simple solution is to move the last element to the front, repeating the process k times. class Solution: def rotate(self, nums, k): n = len(nums) ...

Majority Element in an Array

Majority Element in an Array Given an integer array nums of size n , the task is to find the majority element . A majority element is defined as the element that appears more than ⌊n / 2⌋ times in the array. It is guaranteed that the majority element always exists. Problem Example Input: nums = [3, 2, 3] Output: 3 Input: nums = [2,2,1,1,1,2,2] Output: 2 Approach 1: Using Counter (Easy to Understand) A straightforward approach is to count the frequency of each element and return the one with the maximum count. Python Code from collections import Counter class Solution: def majorityElement(self, nums): freq = Counter(nums) max_count = max(freq.values()) for key in freq: if freq[key] == max_count: return key Complexity Analysis Time Complexity: O(n) Space Complexity: O(n) Although this solution is simple and readable, it us...

LeetCode 88 Explained: Four Approaches, Mistakes, Fixes & the Final Optimal Python Solution

Evolving My Solution to “Merge Sorted Array” A practical, beginner-friendly walkthrough showing four versions of my code (from a naive approach to the optimal in-place two-pointer solution). Includes explanations, complexity and ready-to-paste code. Problem Summary You are given two sorted arrays: nums1 with size m + n (first m are valid) nums2 with size n Goal: Merge nums2 into nums1 in sorted order in-place . Version 1 — Beginner Approach (Extra List) I merged into a new list then copied back. Works, but not in-place and uses extra memory. class Solution: def merge(self, nums1, m, nums2, n): result = [] p1 = 0 p2 = 0 for _ in range(m+n): if p1 >= m: result.extend(nums2[p2:n]) break elif p2 >= n: result.extend(nums1[p1:m]) break elif nu...

Introducing CodeMad: Your Ultimate Universal IDE with Custom Shortcuts

Introducing CodeMad: Your Ultimate Multi-Language IDE with Custom Shortcuts Welcome to the world of CodeMad, your all-in-one Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that simplifies coding and boosts productivity. Developed in Python, CodeMad is designed to make your coding experience smoother and more efficient across a variety of programming languages, including C, C++, Java, Python, and HTML. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced programmer, CodeMad is your go-to tool. In this blog, we'll dive deep into the workings of CodeMad, highlighting its unique features and easy installation process. The Power of Shortcuts CodeMad's intuitive interface is built around a set of powerful keyboard shortcuts that make coding a breeze. Here are some of the key shortcuts you'll find in CodeMad: Copy (Ctrl+C) : Duplicate text with ease. Paste (Ctrl+V) : Quickly insert copied content into your code. Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y) : Correct mistakes and s...

How to increase your PC speed.

  Here are some tips for increasing the speed of your computer: Remove unnecessary programs and files: Go through your computer and delete any programs or files that you no longer need. This can free up space on your hard drive and speed up your computer. Clean up your hard drive: Use a disk cleanup tool to remove temporary files and other unnecessary items from your hard drive. This can help free up space and speed up your computer. Run a virus scan: Viruses and malware can slow down your computer and even damage important files. Run a full virus scan to make sure your computer is free of any malware. Keep your computer updated: Make sure your operating system and all of your programs are up-to-date. This can help fix bugs and improve the performance of your computer. Add more RAM: If your computer is running slowly, adding more RAM can help speed it up. This is because more RAM allows your computer to run more programs at the same time without slowing down. Run a disk defragment:...

Microsoft Word tips to become expert

 In this blog, we will give education you about a few surprising elements of MS Word, so you also will turn into an expert in this product of word editing. Microsoft Word tips to become expert  Microsoft released MS Word in the year 1983. From that point forward MS Word is greatly liked for word arranging/ formatting. The most compelling motivation for its notoriety is that this product is planned so that practically everything of word arranging should be possible effectively in it. However, do you have at least some idea every one of the highlights of this product? In this report, we will enlighten you concerning a few astonishing highlights of MS Word, with the goal that you also will turn into a specialist in this product and word organizing. We should be aware of these tips and tricks.- Begin Typing Anywhere Once in a while you don't begin all along of the composing page in MS Word. Assume you need to begin composing from the center of the page, then you need to more than ...

These 5 tips will surely help you to be Protected against VIRUS

Smartphone Tips For Virus Attack: There are a few simple yet valuable tips to shield cell phone from Hackers, which whenever followed, can be kept away from the snare of Virus. Yet, on the off chance that you disregard these work tips, your ledger or say life's profit can be lost because of infection assault. See Tips.   image credit> https://www.iwmbuzz.com/ These 5 tips will surely help you to be Protected against VIRUS Instructions to Protect Smartphone From Malware: Smartphones have turned into a significant piece of our lives in general, this is on the grounds that today the majority of the work is finished through cell phones sitting at home. In any case, programmers are exploiting this rising reliance on smartphones, who abandon the record by placing infection in the phone of versatile clients and breaking into the ledger. Assuming that you additionally continue to stress over how to save the smartphone from getting found out in the infection trap, then today we will...

9 Things To Do If Your Phone Is Lost Or Stolen

 9 Things To Do If Your Phone Is Lost Or Stolen  Losing your phone can be in excess of a migraine in the event that you sit idle. image credit- https://odishabytes.com/  In the event that your phone is lost or taken, the stakes are higher than with a somewhat costly handheld. Your passwords, monetary records, work reports, and other classified data can be compromised on the off chance that your gadget falls into some unacceptable hands.  Yet, in the event that you make the right strides rapidly subsequent to understanding it's been taken, you can restrict the possible harm to the missing hand and that's it.  What to do if your smartphone is taken or lost? If you lose an iOS or Android phone, you can find, lock and eradicate it with worked in security highlights. Nonetheless, before you make any further move, ensure that your phone isn't encountering any transient obstruction.  Here are a few stages you can take to find and recuperate your taken gadget ...

How many phone numbers are in your name? Find out now what this

How many phone numbers are  in your name? Find out now what this  The DoT portal is also known as Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP). According to the rules issued by DoT, a citizen can only issue 9 cell phone numbers from their Aadhar card.  @image credit- 123rf.com We all know how much cheating has increased today. Especially the cases of SIM card fraud or Aadhar card fraud are at their peak. People don't know what tricks he uses for his own benefit.There are these types of scams that need to be recognized. Do you know how many cell phone numbers are registered in your name? If not, then today's article is for you. Because today we are going to tell you how to know how many cell phone numbers are registered in your name. If you want to know how many   mobile numbers are registered in your name, you can easily find out.You can find out through the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) portal. From here you can know how many...

How can I improve the battery life of my Windows 10 laptop?

 How can I improve the battery life of my Windows 10 laptop?  Many laptop models last a long time on battery source. But they tend to fade over time if you don't take proper care of them. Any device degrades over time, you just need to know how to  care for it.   So if your laptop isn't one of them, you've got a bit of a problem. Some laptops don't even have a removable battery, so this option runs out very quickly.Not sure if you'll run out of power if you're trying to get things done and  can't get your adapter or power. Here are some simple tips to extend the life of your laptop battery.   1. Change your built-in power saving options   First, you need to understand your notebook's power management systems. If you're using Windows, it's in the power options.You can get there by simply searching for it in the start menu.   However, if you are using macOS, you can find it in System Preferences under Energy Saver. If you think t...

Hidden Features of Android

 Hidden Features of Android   Dive into the Android  framework with us and explore some cool secrets.   Android is a great little operating system. It is packed with great features, amazing hacks and tricks to save your time.   But how much do you really know about your phone or tablet? Sure, you can make  calls and text, but we bet there's something in this article  you didn't know about.Read on to find out!     1. Enable developer mode     Ok, this is one of the most popular tricks, but it's still important, so we'll include it.   Go to Settings > About phone and tap  your phone's build number seven times. A countdown will appear on the screen, followed by a message that says "Congratulations, you are now a developer". 2. Change animation speed   For the most part, the latest Android phones already feel very fast. However, some low-end phones only have 4GB of RAM, and in extreme...