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Problem solution · C++

Longest ZigZag Path in a Binary Tree

Longest ZigZag Path in a Binary Tree: a C++ solution using depth-first search. Learn the idea, check the complexity, and read the full code, with credit to walkccc LeetCode Solutions.

Technique
Depth-first search
Source
walkccc LeetCode Solutions
Length
26 lines
Start with the idea.

Try the problem first. If you get stuck, read the approach below, then write your own solution. The full code is at the bottom.

Approach

Depth-first search

For Longest ZigZag Path in a Binary Tree, the implementation follows one branch at a time, making it suitable for components, trees, backtracking, or dependency exploration.

  1. Define the state carried into one recursive or stack frame.
  2. Mark or choose the current state before exploring children.
  3. Combine child results or undo the choice when the branch finishes.

Code notes

  • 26 lines of C++ from the credited upstream file 1372.cpp.
  • The implementation keeps its working state in language-native values and containers.
  • No explicit loop blocks detected, together with recursive traversal.

Complexity

Count unique states for graph traversal; for backtracking, count the branching factor and maximum depth.

Check the problem constraints before deciding whether this complexity will pass.

Source

Code and credit

This code comes from walkccc LeetCode Solutions by P.-Y. Chen (walkccc) and is used under the MIT licence.

Open problem ↗Original source ↗
Full codeLongest ZigZag Path in a Binary Tree · C++C++
Use this to learn the idea, then write your own version.
struct T {  int leftMax;  int rightMax;  int subtreeMax;}; class Solution { public:  int longestZigZag(TreeNode* root) {    return dfs(root).subtreeMax;  }  private:  T dfs(TreeNode* root) {    if (root == nullptr)      return {-1, -1, -1};    const T left = dfs(root->left);    const T right = dfs(root->right);    const int leftZigZag = left.rightMax + 1;    const int rightZigZag = right.leftMax + 1;    const int subtreeMax =        max({leftZigZag, rightZigZag, left.subtreeMax, right.subtreeMax});    return {leftZigZag, rightZigZag, subtreeMax};  }};

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