Decode Ways
Detailed guide and Python implementation for the 'Decode Ways' problem.
1. Concept Overview
The 'Decode Ways' problem is a key challenge in the 1D DP section.
This implementation focuses on medium-level logic in Python.
We prioritize technical accuracy and code readability in our provided solutions.
2. Real-World Applications
3. Visual Intuition
Visualizing the logic flow for Decode Ways.
4. Prerequisites
5. Step-by-Step Thinking
1. Understand the problem
Read the problem statement for Decode Ways carefully.
2. Formulate brute force
Draft a simple iterative solution.
3. Identify inefficiency
Look for redundant calculations.
4. Optimize search path
Use hashing or sorting to speed up the process.
5. Final Implementation
Clean up the code for production standards.
Problem Statement
A message containing letters from A-Z can be encoded into numbers using the following mapping:
'A' -> "1"
'B' -> "2"
...
'Z' -> "26"
To decode an encoded message, all the digits must be grouped then mapped back into letters using the reverse mapping above. For example, "11106" can be mapped into:
- "AAJF" with the grouping (1 1 10 6)
- "KJF" with the grouping (11 10 6)
Note that the grouping (1 11 06) is invalid because "06" cannot be mapped into 'F' since "6" is different from "06".
Given a string s containing only digits, return the number of ways to decode it.
Write a function numDecodings(s: str) -> int.
- •1 <= len(s) <= 100
- •s contains only digits and may contain leading zero(s)
Examples
s = "12"
2
"12" could be decoded as "AB" (1 2) or "L" (12).
s = "226"
3
"226" could be decoded as "BZ" (2 26), "VF" (22 6), or "BBF" (2 2 6).
s = "06"
0
"06" cannot be mapped to 'F' because of the leading zero.
Need a Hint?
Edge Cases to Watch
- Empty input structures
- Single element inputs
- Large numerical bounds
Ready to Solve?
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Interview Insights & Variations
Complexity Analysis Breakdown
Why Time: Directly evaluates all possibilities.
Why Space: Uses standard local memory.
Why Time: Optimized paths reduce total operations.
Why Space: May trade memory for speed.
Optimized Solution Python Code
Optimized Solution Python Code
def num_decodings_opt(s):
dp = {len(s): 1}
for i in range(len(s) - 1, -1, -1):
if s[i] == "0": dp[i] = 0
else: dp[i] = dp[i + 1]
if i + 1 < len(s) and (s[i] == "1" or s[i] == "2" and s[i + 1] in "0123456"):
dp[i] += dp[i + 2]
return dp[0]Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
def num_decodings_brute(s):
def solve(idx):
if idx == len(s): return 1
if s[idx] == '0': return 0
res = solve(idx + 1)
if idx + 1 < len(s) and (s[idx] == '1' or (s[idx] == '2' and s[idx+1] < '7')):
res += solve(idx + 2)
return res
return solve(0)Algorithm Pattern Checklist
When dealing with 1D DP data patterns.
Core Prerequisites
Revision Key Notes
Common Mistakes & Pitfalls
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