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CodeISM Class 15 (2-pointers)

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6 views

CodeISM Class 15 (2-pointers)

Uploaded by

tghemanthkrishna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2-pointers

Pointers mean an index in an array.

Q. You are given 2 sorted arrays: A of size n and B of size m.


Merge them into one sorted array.
Eg.
Input :
A = [1, 6, 9, 13, 18, 18]
B = [2, 3, 8, 13, 25]

Output:
[1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 13, 13, 18, 18, 25]

Link:
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/1/practice/contest/3
07092/problem/A

Sol:

#include <bits/stdc++.h>

using namespace std;

typedef long long ll;

int32_t main() {
int n, m;
cin >> n >> m;
vector<int> a(n), b(m);

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {


cin >> a[i];
}

for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) {


cin >> b[i];
}

int i = 0, j = 0;
vector<int> c;

while (i < n && j < m) {


if (a[i] <= b[j]) {
c.push_back(a[i]);
i++;
} else {
c.push_back(b[j]);
j++;
}
}

while (j < m) {
c.push_back(b[j]);
j++;
}
while (i < n) {
c.push_back(a[i]);
i++;
}

for (int i = 0; i < m + n; i++) {


cout << c[i] << ' ';
}

return 0;
}

TIme Complexity: O(n + m)

Q: https://cses.fi/problemset/task/1641

A[] = {2,7,5,1}
X=8
2 -> sumLeft = 8-2 = 6

A[] = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
1 -> sumLeft = x-1 = 6 //x=7
Sum = 10
*Sum == sumLeft -> we have found a triplet -> 1,2,8
*sum<sumLeft - > we can ignore the minimum number i.e. the
leftmost number
*sum>sumLeft -> we can ignore the maximum number i.e. the
righmost number .
2,7,5,1 -> 1,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,5,7 -> 1,2,3

Sol:
int n,x;
cin>>n>>x;
vector<pii > v(n);
for(int i=0;i<n;i++){
cin>>v[i].fi;
v[i].se = i;
}
sort(v.begin(),v.end());
vector<int> ans;
for(int i=0;i<n;i++){ //v[i].fi is the 1st number of the
triplet
int sumLeft = x-v[i].fi;
int l=i+1,r=n-1;
while(l<r){
int sum = v[l].fi+v[r].fi;
if(sum==sumLeft){ //a pair has been found
// triplet = {v[i].se,v[l].se,v[r].se}
ans.pb(v[i].se);
ans.pb(v[l].se);
ans.pb(v[r].se);
break;
}else if (sum<sumLeft){
l++;
}else{
r--;
}
}
if(ans.size()!=0){
break;
}
}
sort(ans.begin(),ans.end());
if(ans.size()!=0){
cout<<ans[0]+1<<" "<<ans[1]+1<<" "<<ans[2]+1;
}else{
cout<<"IMPOSSIBLE";
}

Q: https://codeforces.com/contest/279/problem/B

N books numbered from 1 to n


Ith book takes a[i] minutes
Free Time available: T minutes

Basically, we need to find largest continuous segment of the array


such that the sum of elements in this segment <=t

We can take 2 pointers - l and r

If sum within the range [l, r] <=t, then we can increment r.


Otherwise if sum>t, we can increase l until sum becomes <=t

Sol:
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define int long long

using namespace std;

typedef long long ll;

int32_t main() {
int n, t;
cin >> n >> t;

vector<int> a(n);

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {


cin >> a[i];
}

int sum = 0, ans = 0;


int l = 0;
for (int r = 0; r < n; r++) {
sum = sum + a[r];
while (sum > t) {
sum -= a[l];
l++;
}
ans = max(ans, r - l + 1);
}
cout << ans;
return 0;
}
Time complexity: O(n)

Q.
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/2/practice/contest/3
07093/problem/B
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define int long long

using namespace std;

typedef long long ll;

int32_t main() {
int n, s;
cin >> n >> s;

vector<int> a(n);

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {


cin >> a[i];
}

int sum = 0, ans = 1e5 + 1;


int l = 0;

for (int r = 0; r < n; r++) {


sum = sum + a[r];
while (sum - a[l] >= s) {
sum = sum - a[l];
l++;
}
if (sum >= s) ans = min(ans, r - l + 1);
}

if(ans == 1e5 + 1)
cout<<-1;
else
cout << ans;

return 0;
}

Time Complexity: O(n)

When we can use 2-pointers?


Case 1:
Example:
Sum of elements <= t ( as solved in previous question - B. Books)

Case 2:
Example:
Sum of elements >= s (as solved in the previous )

Q.
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/2/practice/contest/3
07093/problem/D

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define int long long

using namespace std;

typedef long long ll;

int32_t main() {
int n, s;
cin >> n >> s;
vector<int> a(n);

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {


cin >> a[i];
}

int sum = 0, ans = 0;


int l = 0;

for (int r = 0; r < n; r++) {


sum = sum + a[r];
while (sum - a[l] >= s) {
sum = sum - a[l];
l++;
}
if (sum >= s) ans = ans + l + 1;
}
cout << ans;

return 0;
}

Time Complexity: O(n)

Practice Questions:

1.
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/2/practice/contest/3
07093/problem/C
2.
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/2/practice/contest/3
07093/problem/E
3.
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/1/practice/contest/3
07092/problem/B
4. https://cses.fi/problemset/task/1640
5. https://codeforces.com/problemset/problem/702/C
6. Try to solve the problems at:
https://codeforces.com/edu/course/2/lesson/9/3/practice

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