Yogesh ..’s Post

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 69/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Reverse Nodes in k-Group A challenging linked list problem focused on reversing nodes in fixed-size groups. Problem idea: Reverse nodes of a linked list in groups of size k, while keeping remaining nodes as it is. Key idea: Linked list manipulation + iterative reversal in segments. Why? • We need to reverse nodes in chunks, not the whole list • Careful pointer handling is required • Must preserve connections between groups How it works: • Use a dummy node for easier handling of head • Identify the k-th node from current position • Reverse nodes between current and k-th node • Connect reversed group back to the list • Move to next group and repeat • Stop if remaining nodes are less than k Time Complexity: O(n) Space Complexity: O(1) Big takeaway: Mastering pointer manipulation in linked lists is key to solving advanced problems efficiently. This problem is a great example of combining reversal logic with structural control. 🔥 Day 69 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #LinkedList #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

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 206 — Minimum Distance to Target 🎯📍 Today solved a simple yet important problem and did some revision alongside. 📌 Problem Goal Given an array, a target value, and a starting index: ✔️ Find the minimum distance between the start index and any index where the target exists 🔹 Core Idea Traverse the array and: ✔️ Check if current element matches the target ✔️ Calculate distance from the start index ✔️ Keep updating the minimum distance 🔹 Key Observation ✔️ Only indices with the target matter ✔️ Distance = absolute difference between indices ✔️ Simple linear scan gives optimal solution 🧠 Key Learning ✔️ Even easy problems strengthen fundamentals ✔️ Brute-force with clarity > overthinking ✔️ Absolute difference patterns are very common in arrays 💡 Today’s Realization Not every day needs to be a hard problem. Consistency with simple + revision days builds stronger intuition. 🚀 Momentum Status: Staying consistent and sharpening basics. On to Day 207. #DSA #Arrays #ProblemSolving #LeetCode #Java #CodingJourney #ConsistencyWins

🚀 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

🚀 #100DaysOfCode | Day 49 🔍 Solved: Largest Number Today I worked on an interesting problem where the goal was to arrange numbers such that they form the largest possible number. 💡 Key Insight: Instead of normal sorting, we compare numbers based on their string combinations (like "ab" vs "ba"). 📌 Approach: ✔ Converted integers to strings ✔ Used a custom comparator for sorting ✔ Compared (a + b) and (b + a) ✔ Sorted in descending order based on best combination ✔ Handled edge case when all elements are 0 Why this works: By comparing two numbers in different orders, we ensure that the arrangement always produces the maximum possible value when concatenated. 🎯 What I Learned: This problem taught me that sorting can go beyond numbers—custom logic and string manipulation are powerful tools in problem solving. #Java #DSA #LeetCode #Sorting #Comparator #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #TechSkills 🚀

🚀 LeetCode Challenge 30/50 💡 Approach: HashSet (Sequence Start Detection) Sorting would give O(n log n) — but the problem demands O(n)! The trick? Use a HashSet and only start counting from the BEGINNING of each sequence! 🔍 Key Insight: → Add all numbers to a HashSet (O(1) lookup) → For each number, check if (num - 1) exists in set → If NOT → it's the start of a new sequence! → Count upward (num+1, num+2...) while consecutive numbers exist → Update maxLength at each sequence end 📈 Complexity: ❌ Sorting approach → O(n log n) Time ✅ HashSet approach → O(n) Time, O(n) Space Each number is visited at most twice across all sequences! 🎉 Day 30/50 — 60% done and still going strong! The best optimizations come from asking: ‘What information can I precompute?’ A HashSet turned O(n log n) into O(n)! 🔥 #LeetCode #DSA #HashSet #Java #ADA #PBL2 #LeetCodeChallenge #Day30of50 #CodingJourney #ComputerEngineering #AlgorithmDesign #LongestConsecutiveSequence

Day 66/100 🚀 | #100DaysOfDSA Solved LeetCode 14 – Longest Common Prefix today. The task was to find the longest common prefix string among an array of strings. Initially, I couldn’t come up with this optimal approach and first solved it using a brute-force O(n²) method, comparing characters across all strings. Approach (Optimized): Used sorting to simplify the problem. • Sorted the array of strings. • Took the first and last strings after sorting. • Compared characters of both strings until they differ. • The common prefix between these two will be the answer for all strings. This works because after sorting, the most different strings will be at the extremes. Time Complexity: O(n log n + m) (where n = number of strings, m = length of prefix comparison) Space Complexity: O(1) (ignoring sorting space) Key takeaway: Sorting can sometimes reduce multi-string comparison problems to just comparing two extreme cases, making the solution much simpler and efficient. #100DaysOfDSA #LeetCode #DSA #Java #Strings #Sorting #ProblemSolving #Consistency

Day 67/100 | #100DaysOfDSA 🧩🚀 Today’s problem: Subsets II Another classic backtracking problem with a twist (duplicates). Problem idea: Generate all possible subsets (power set), but avoid duplicate subsets. Key idea: Backtracking + sorting to handle duplicates. Why? • We need to explore all subset combinations • Duplicates in input can lead to duplicate subsets • Sorting helps us skip repeated elements efficiently How it works: • Sort the array first • At each step, add current subset to result • Iterate through elements • Skip duplicates using condition: 👉 if (i > start && nums[i] == nums[i-1]) continue • Choose → recurse → backtrack Time Complexity: O(2^n) Space Complexity: O(n) recursion depth Big takeaway: Handling duplicates in backtracking requires careful skipping logic, not extra data structures. This pattern appears in many problems (subsets, permutations, combinations). 🔥 Day 67 done. 🚀 #100DaysOfCode #LeetCode #DSA #Algorithms #Backtracking #Recursion #Java #CodingJourney #ProblemSolving #InterviewPrep #TechCommunity

💡 LeetCode 191 — Number of 1 Bits (Hamming Weight) Recently solved an interesting bit manipulation problem that highlights the power of low-level optimization 🚀 🔍 Problem Statement: Given an unsigned integer, count the number of set bits (1s) in its binary representation. 🧠 Key Insight: Instead of checking every bit individually, we can use a clever trick: 👉 n & (n - 1) removes the rightmost set bit in each operation. This allows us to count only the set bits, making the solution more efficient. ⚙️ Approach Used (Brian Kernighan’s Algorithm): Initialize a counter Repeatedly apply n = n & (n - 1) Increment count until n becomes 0 📈 Time Complexity: O(k), where k = number of set bits (faster than checking all 32 bits) 📦 Space Complexity: O(1) ✨ Why this problem is important: Strengthens understanding of bit manipulation Frequently asked in interviews Useful in low-level optimization and system design 💬 Takeaway: Sometimes the best solutions come from understanding how data is represented at the binary level. Small tricks can lead to big optimizations! #LeetCode #DSA #CodingInterview #Java #BitManipulation #ProblemSolving #TechJourney