Last Stone Weight
Detailed guide and Python implementation for the 'Last Stone Weight' problem.
1. Concept Overview
The 'Last Stone Weight' problem is a key challenge in the Heap / Priority Queue 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 Last Stone Weight.
4. Prerequisites
5. Step-by-Step Thinking
1. Understand the problem
Read the problem statement for Last Stone Weight 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 integers stones where stones[i] is the weight of the ith stone.
We are playing a game with the stones. On each turn, we choose the heaviest two stones and smash them together. Suppose the heaviest two stones have weights x and y with x <= y. The result of this smash is:
- If x == y, both stones are destroyed,
- If x != y, the stone of weight x is destroyed, and the stone of weight y has new weight y - x.
At the end of the game, there is at most one stone left.
Return the weight of the last remaining stone. If no stones are left, return 0.
Write a function lastStoneWeight(stones: List[int]) -> int.
- •1 <= len(stones) <= 30
- •1 <= stones[i] <= 1000
Examples
stones = [2,7,4,1,8,1]
1
Smash 7 and 8 to get 1, array becomes [2,4,1,1,1]. Smash 2 and 4 to get 2, array becomes [2,1,1,1]. Smash 2 and 1 to get 1, array becomes [1,1,1]. Smash 1 and 1 to get 0, array becomes [1]. The last remaining stone is 1.
stones = [1]
1
Only one stone, so weight is 1.
Need a Hint?
Edge Cases to Watch
- Empty input structures
- Single element inputs
- Large numerical bounds
Ready to Solve?
Open the problem in PyRun's browser-based Python editor. Your code runs fully offline — no server required.
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
import heapq
def last_stone_weight_opt(stones):
stones = [-s for s in stones]
heapq.heapify(stones)
while len(stones) > 1:
first = heapq.heappop(stones)
second = heapq.heappop(stones)
if second > first: heapq.heappush(stones, first - second)
stones.append(0)
return abs(stones[0])Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
Brute Force Code (Spoiler Guarded)
def last_stone_weight_brute(stones):
while len(stones) > 1:
stones.sort()
s1, s2 = stones.pop(), stones.pop()
if s1 != s2: stones.append(s1 - s2)
return stones[0] if stones else 0Algorithm Pattern Checklist
When dealing with Heap / Priority Queue data patterns.
Core Prerequisites
Revision Key Notes
Common Mistakes & Pitfalls
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