Package g2701_2800.s2746_decremental_string_concatenation

Class Solution

  • All Implemented Interfaces:
    
public final class Solution

    2746 - Decremental String Concatenation.

    Medium

    You are given a 0-indexed array words containing n strings.

    Let's define a join operation join(x, y) between two strings x and y as concatenating them into xy. However, if the last character of x is equal to the first character of y, one of them is deleted.

    For example join("ab", "ba") = "aba" and join("ab", "cde") = "abcde".

    You are to perform n - 1 join operations. Let <code>str<sub>0</sub> = words0</code>. Starting from i = 1 up to i = n - 1, for the <code>i<sup>th</sup></code> operation, you can do one of the following:

    • Make <code>str<sub>i</sub> = join(str<sub>i - 1</sub>, wordsi)</code>

    • Make <code>str<sub>i</sub> = join(wordsi, str<sub>i - 1</sub>)</code>

    Your task is to minimize the length of <code>str<sub>n - 1</sub></code>.

    Return an integer denoting the minimum possible length of <code>str<sub>n - 1</sub></code>.

    Example 1:

    Input: words = "aa","ab","bc"

    Output: 4

    Explanation: In this example, we can perform join operations in the following order to minimize the length of str<sub>2</sub>:

    str<sub>0</sub> = "aa"

    str<sub>1</sub> = join(str<sub>0</sub>, "ab") = "aab"

    str<sub>2</sub> = join(str<sub>1</sub>, "bc") = "aabc"

    It can be shown that the minimum possible length of str<sub>2</sub> is 4.

    Example 2:

    Input: words = "ab","b"

    Output: 2

    Explanation: In this example, str<sub>0</sub> = "ab", there are two ways to get str<sub>1</sub>: join(str<sub>0</sub>, "b") = "ab" or join("b", str<sub>0</sub>) = "bab". The first string, "ab", has the minimum length. Hence, the answer is 2.

    Example 3:

    Input: words = "aaa","c","aba"

    Output: 6

    Explanation: In this example, we can perform join operations in the following order to minimize the length of str<sub>2</sub>:

    str<sub>0</sub> = "aaa"

    str<sub>1</sub> = join(str<sub>0</sub>, "c") = "aaac"

    str<sub>2</sub> = join("aba", str<sub>1</sub>) = "abaaac"

    It can be shown that the minimum possible length of str<sub>2</sub> is 6.

    Constraints:

    • 1 &lt;= words.length &lt;= 1000

    • 1 &lt;= words[i].length &lt;= 50

    • Each character in words[i] is an English lowercase letter

    • Nested Class Summary

      Nested Classes 
      Modifier and Type Class Description

    • Field Summary

      Fields 
      Modifier and Type Field Description

    • Constructor Summary

      Constructors 
      Constructor Description
      Solution()

    • Enum Constant Summary

      Enum Constants 
      Enum Constant Description

    • Method Summary

      Modifier and Type Method Description
      final Integer minimizeConcatenatedLength(Array<String> words)

      • Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

        clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait