Leetcode #1397: Find All Good Strings
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #1397 Find All Good Strings in Python and focus on the core idea that makes the solution efficient.
You will see the intuition, the step-by-step method, and a clean Python implementation you can use in interviews.
Problem Statement
Given the strings s1 and s2 of size n and the string evil, return the number of good strings. A good string has size n, it is alphabetically greater than or equal to s1, it is alphabetically smaller than or equal to s2, and it does not contain the string evil as a substring.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Hard
- Premium: No
- Tags: String, Dynamic Programming, String Matching
Intuition
The problem breaks into overlapping subproblems, so caching results prevents exponential repetition.
A carefully chosen DP state captures exactly what we need to build the final answer.
Approach
Define the DP state and recurrence, then compute states in the correct order.
Optionally compress space once the recurrence is clear.
Steps:
- Choose a DP state definition.
- Write the recurrence and base cases.
- Compute states in the correct order.
Example
Input: n = 2, s1 = "aa", s2 = "da", evil = "b"
Output: 51
Explanation: There are 25 good strings starting with 'a': "aa","ac","ad",...,"az". Then there are 25 good strings starting with 'c': "ca","cc","cd",...,"cz" and finally there is one good string starting with 'd': "da".
Python Solution
Complexity
The time complexity is O(n·m) (typical). The space complexity is O(n·m) or optimized.
Edge Cases and Pitfalls
Watch for boundary values, empty inputs, and duplicate values where applicable. If the problem involves ordering or constraints, confirm the invariant is preserved at every step.
Summary
This Python solution focuses on the essential structure of the problem and keeps the implementation interview-friendly while meeting the constraints.