Subsets II Problem: Handling Duplicates with Backtracking

Day 68/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Add Two Numbers A fundamental linked list problem that mimics real-life addition. Problem idea: Add two numbers represented by linked lists (digits stored in reverse order). Key idea: Linked list traversal + carry handling. Why? • We process digits one by one (like manual addition) • Need to handle carry at each step • Lists can have different lengths How it works: • Use a dummy node to build the result • Traverse both lists simultaneously • Add values + carry • Create new node with (sum % 10) • Update carry = sum / 10 • Move pointers forward • Continue until both lists and carry are done Time Complexity: O(max(m, n)) Space Complexity: O(max(m, n)) Big takeaway: Using a dummy node simplifies linked list construction and avoids edge cases. This pattern is very common in linked list problems. 🔥 Day 68 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #LinkedList #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

Day 79/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Flatten Binary Tree to Linked List A powerful tree transformation problem using pointer manipulation. Problem idea: Convert a binary tree into a linked list in-place following preorder traversal. Key idea: Iterative traversal + rewiring (similar to Morris traversal idea). Why? • We need preorder sequence (Root → Left → Right) • Instead of extra space, we modify pointers in-place • Efficient and avoids recursion stack How it works: • Traverse using a pointer curr • If left child exists: → Find rightmost node of left subtree → Connect it to current’s right subtree → Move left subtree to right → Set left = null • Move to next node (curr.right) Time Complexity: O(n) Space Complexity: O(1) Big takeaway: Tree problems can often be optimized using in-place pointer rewiring, avoiding extra space. 🔥 This pattern is very useful for tree flattening and traversal optimizations. Day 79 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #BinaryTree #MorrisTraversal #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

🚀 Day 76 — Slow & Fast Pointer (Find the Duplicate Number) Continuing the cycle detection pattern — today I applied slow‑fast pointers to an array problem where the values act as pointers to indices. 📌 Problem Solved: - LeetCode 287 – Find the Duplicate Number 🧠 Key Learnings: 1️⃣ The Problem Twist  Given an array of length `n+1` containing integers from `1` to `n` (inclusive), with one duplicate. We must find the duplicate without modifying the array and using only O(1) extra space. 2️⃣ Why Slow‑Fast Pointer Works Here  - Treat the array as a linked list where `i` points to `nums[i]`.   - Because there’s a duplicate, two different indices point to the same value → a cycle exists in this implicit linked list.   - The duplicate number is exactly the entry point of the cycle (same logic as LeetCode 142).  3️⃣ The Algorithm in Steps - Phase 1 (detect cycle): `slow = nums[slow]`, `fast = nums[nums[fast]]`. Wait for them to meet.   - Phase 2 (find cycle start): Reset `slow = 0`, then move both one step at a time until they meet again. The meeting point is the duplicate. 4️⃣ Why Not Use Sorting or Hashing?   - Sorting modifies the array (not allowed).   - Hashing uses O(n) space (not allowed).   - Slow‑fast pointer runs in O(n) time and O(1) space — perfect for the constraints. 💡 Takeaway:  This problem beautifully demonstrates how the slow‑fast pattern transcends linked lists. Any structure where you can define a “next” function (here: `next(i) = nums[i]`) can be analyzed for cycles. Recognizing this abstraction is a superpower. No guilt about past breaks — just another pattern mastered, one day at a time. #DSA #SlowFastPointer #CycleDetection #FindDuplicateNumber #LeetCode #CodingJourney #Revision #Java #ProblemSolving #Consistency #GrowthMindset #TechCommunity #LearningInPublic

Day 70/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Reverse Linked List II A neat variation of linked list reversal where only a specific portion of the list is reversed. Problem idea: Reverse a linked list from position left to right, keeping the rest of the list unchanged. Key idea: In-place reversal using pointer manipulation. Why? • We don’t reverse the whole list, only a segment • Need to reconnect the reversed part correctly • Must carefully track boundaries (left and right) How it works: • Use a dummy node to handle edge cases • Move a pointer to the node just before left • Start reversing nodes one by one within the range • Adjust links to insert nodes at the front of the sublist • Reconnect the reversed portion with remaining list Time Complexity: O(n) Space Complexity: O(1) Big takeaway: Partial reversal in linked lists requires precise pointer updates, not extra space. This builds strong intuition for advanced linked list problems. 🔥 Day 70 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #LinkedList #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟓𝟓 – 𝐃𝐒𝐀 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 | 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬 🚀 Today’s problem extended the previous one by introducing duplicates in a rotated sorted array. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 • Find Minimum in Rotated Sorted Array II 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 • Used modified binary search • Compared nums[mid] with nums[right] Logic: • If nums[mid] > nums[right] → minimum is in right half • If nums[mid] < nums[right] → minimum is in left half (including mid) • If equal → cannot decide, so shrink search space (right--) 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 • Duplicates can break standard binary search logic • When unsure, safely reduce the search space • Edge cases often define the complexity of the problem • Small changes in conditions can affect performance 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 • Average Time: O(log n) • Worst Case: O(n) (due to duplicates) • Space: O(1) 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 When the data becomes ambiguous, focus on reducing the problem safely instead of forcing a decision. 55 days consistent 🚀 On to Day 56. #DSA #Arrays #BinarySearch #LeetCode #Java #ProblemSolving #DailyCoding #LearningInPublic #SoftwareDeveloper

Day 6 of #100DaysOfLeetCode ✅ Today I solved LeetCode 128 — Longest Consecutive Sequence. 🧩 Problem Summary: Given an unsorted array of integers, the task is to find the length of the longest sequence of consecutive numbers. The challenge is to solve it in O(n) time complexity, which means sorting is not allowed. 💡 Key Learning: Instead of sorting, I used a HashSet for O(1) lookup. The main intuition: 👉 A number starts a sequence only if (num - 1) does NOT exist in the set. Then we expand forward (num + 1) to count the sequence length. ⚡ Concepts Practiced: • HashSet / Hashing • Optimized Searching (O(1) lookup) • Sequence Detection Pattern • Time Complexity Optimization 📈 Time Complexity: O(n) 📦 Space Complexity: O(n) Every day improving problem-solving skills and understanding data structures deeper 🚀 #DSA #LeetCode #Java #CodingJourney #Consistency

Day 72/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Rotate List A clean linked list manipulation problem that tests pointer handling. Problem idea: Rotate the linked list to the right by k places. Key idea: Convert list into a cycle + break at the right position. Why? • Direct shifting is inefficient • Linked list doesn’t allow random access • Forming a cycle simplifies rotation logic How it works: • Traverse list to find length • Connect tail → head (make it circular) • Reduce k using modulo 👉 k = k % length • Find new tail at (length - k - 1) • Break the cycle to form new head Time Complexity: O(n) Space Complexity: O(1) Big takeaway: Many linked list problems become easier when you temporarily convert structure (like making a cycle) and then restore it. This trick is very powerful in pointer-based problems. 🔥 Day 72 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #LinkedList #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

🚀 LeetCode Challenge 19/50 💡 Approach: Horizontal Scanning The sorting-based approach costs O(S log n). Instead, I used Horizontal Scanning — take the first string as the prefix and keep shrinking it until every string agrees. No sorting, no extra space! 🔍 Key Insight: → Start with strs[0] as the full prefix candidate → For each next string, shrink prefix from the right until it matches → If prefix becomes empty at any point → return "" → What's left is the longest common prefix! 📈 Complexity: ❌ Sort-based → O(S log n) Time ✅ Horizontal Scan → O(S) Time, O(1) Space   where S = total characters across all strings The smartest solutions don't always need fancy data structures — sometimes a simple shrinking window does the job perfectly! 🪟 #LeetCode #DSA #StringManipulation #Java #ADA #PBL2 #LeetCodeChallenge #Day19of50 #CodingJourney #ComputerEngineering #AlgorithmDesign #LongestCommonPrefix

📌 Median of Two Sorted Arrays Platform: LeetCode #4 Difficulty: Hard ⚙️ Approach • Apply binary search on the smaller array for efficiency • Define search space from 0 to n1 • Partition both arrays such that: – Left half contains (n1 + n2 + 1) / 2 elements – Right half contains remaining elements • Identify boundary elements: – l1, l2 → left side elements – r1, r2 → right side elements • Check valid partition: – l1 <= r2 and l2 <= r1 • If valid: – For even length → median = average of max(left) and min(right) – For odd length → median = max(left) • If not valid: – If l1 > r2, move left – Else move right 🧠 Logic Used • Binary Search on partition index • Dividing arrays into balanced halves • Handling edge cases using boundary values • Achieving optimal O(log(min(n1, n2))) time complexity 🔗 GitHub: https://lnkd.in/g_3x55n8 ✅ Day 36 Completed – Revised advanced binary search and partition-based problem. #100DaysOfCode #Java #DSA #ProblemSolving #CodingJourney #Algorithms #DataStructures #LeetCode #CodingPractice #CodeEveryDay #BinarySearch #ArrayProblems

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟔𝟔 – 𝐃𝐒𝐀 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 | 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬 🚀 Today’s problem focused on counting all prime numbers less than n efficiently. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 • Count Primes 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 – 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 • Created a boolean array to mark non-prime numbers • Started from 2 and marked all its multiples as non-prime • Repeated the process for each number up to √n • Counted numbers that remained unmarked 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 • Precomputation helps solve problems efficiently • Marking multiples avoids repeated checks • Only iterating till √n reduces unnecessary work • Classic algorithms are still highly relevant 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 • Time: O(n log log n) • Space: O(n) 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 Optimization is not always about complex logic — sometimes it’s about eliminating unnecessary work early. 66 days consistent 🚀 On to Day 67. #DSA #Arrays #Math #Sieve #LeetCode #Java #ProblemSolving #DailyCoding #LearningInPublic #SoftwareDeveloper