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Problem solution · C++

Minimum Unlocked Indices to Sort Nums

Minimum Unlocked Indices to Sort Nums: a C++ solution using direct simulation. Learn the idea, check the complexity, and read the full code, with credit to walkccc LeetCode Solutions.

Technique
Direct simulation
Source
walkccc LeetCode Solutions
Length
38 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

Direct simulation

For Minimum Unlocked Indices to Sort Nums, the implementation follows the problem’s operations directly while maintaining only the state needed for the next decision.

  1. Translate each rule into one explicit state update.
  2. Maintain the invariant after every processed item.
  3. Return the accumulated state once all relevant input has been handled.

Code notes

  • 38 lines of C++ from the credited upstream file 3431.cpp.
  • The implementation visibly relies on sequence storage.
  • 2 loop blocks detected.

Complexity

Count the number and nesting of passes over the input, then include the maintained containers in the memory estimate.

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 codeMinimum Unlocked Indices to Sort Nums · C++C++
Use this to learn the idea, then write your own version.
class Solution { public:  int minUnlockedIndices(vector<int>& nums, vector<int>& locked) {    const auto first2It = ranges::find(nums, 2);    const auto first3It = ranges::find(nums, 3);    const auto last1It = ranges::find_last(nums, 1);    const auto last2It = ranges::find_last(nums, 2);    const int first2 =        first2It == nums.cend() ? -1 : distance(nums.begin(), first2It);    const int first3 =        first3It == nums.cend() ? -1 : distance(nums.begin(), first3It);    const int last1 = last1It.begin() == nums.cend()                          ? -1                          : distance(nums.begin(), last1It.begin());    const int last2 = last2It.begin() == nums.cend()                          ? -1                          : distance(nums.begin(), last2It.begin());    if (first3 != -1 && last1 != -1 && first3 < last1)      return -1;     int ans = 0;     // Unlocked indices between 2 and 1.    if (first2 != -1 && last1 != -1)      for (int i = first2; i < last1; ++i)        if (locked[i] == 1)          ++ans;     // Unlocked indices between 3 and 2.    if (first3 != -1 && last2 != -1)      for (int i = first3; i < last2; ++i)        if (locked[i] == 1)          ++ans;     return ans;  }};

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