Competitive ProgrammingEasy

Longest Common Sequence

Detailed guide and Python implementation for the 'Longest Common Sequence' problem.

Problem Statement

Easy

Write a function lcs(s1, s2) that returns the length of the longest common subsequence of two strings s1 and s2.

Constraints
  • 0 <= len(s1), len(s2) <= 1000
  • Strings consist of uppercase English letters.

Examples

Example 1
Input
lcs('ABCDGH', 'AEDFHR')
Output
3
Explanation

The longest common subsequence is 'ADH' which has length 3.

Example 2
Input
lcs('AGGTAB', 'GXTXAYB')
Output
4
Explanation

The longest common subsequence is 'GTAB' which has length 4.

Need a Hint?
Consider using Dynamic Programming-specific data structures like sets or heaps.
Edge Cases to Watch
  • Empty input structures
  • Single element inputs
  • Large numerical bounds

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