Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation
Detailed guide and Python implementation for the 'Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation' problem.
1. Concept Overview
The 'Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation' problem is a key challenge in the Stack section.
This implementation focuses on easy-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 Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation.
4. Prerequisites
5. Step-by-Step Thinking
1. Understand the problem
Read the problem statement for Evaluate Reverse Polish Notation 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
You are given an array of strings tokens that represents an arithmetic expression in Reverse Polish Notation.
Evaluate the expression and return an integer that represents the value of the expression.
Note that:
- The valid operators are '+', '-', '*', and '/'.
- Each operand may be an integer or another expression.
- The division between two integers always truncates toward zero.
- There will not be any division by zero.
- The input represents a valid arithmetic expression in reverse polish notation.
Write a function evalRPN(tokens: List[str]) -> int.
- •1 <= len(tokens) <= 10^4
- •tokens[i] is either an operator (+, -, *, /) or an integer in the range [-200, 200]
Examples
tokens = ["2", "1", "+", "3", "*"]
9
((2 + 1) * 3) = 9.
tokens = ["4", "13", "5", "/", "+"]
6
(4 + (13 / 5)) = (4 + 2) = 6. Note 13/5 truncates to 2.
tokens = ["10", "6", "9", "3", "+", "-11", "*", "/", "*", "17", "+", "5", "+"]
22
((10 * (6 / ((9 + 3) * -11))) + 17 + 5) = 22.
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 eval_rpn_opt(tokens):
stack = []
for c in tokens:
if c == "+":
stack.append(stack.pop() + stack.pop())
elif c == "-":
a, b = stack.pop(), stack.pop()
stack.append(b - a)
elif c == "*":
stack.append(stack.pop() * stack.pop())
elif c == "/":
a, b = stack.pop(), stack.pop()
stack.append(int(b / a))
else:
stack.append(int(c))
return stack[0]Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
def eval_rpn_brute(tokens):
stack = []
for t in tokens:
if t in "+-*/":
b = stack.pop()
a = stack.pop()
if t == "+": stack.append(a + b)
elif t == "-": stack.append(a - b)
elif t == "*": stack.append(a * b)
else: stack.append(int(a / b))
else:
stack.append(int(t))
return stack[0]Algorithm Pattern Checklist
When dealing with Stack data patterns.
Core Prerequisites
Revision Key Notes
Common Mistakes & Pitfalls
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