Leetcode #1657: Determine if Two Strings Are Close
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #1657 Determine if Two Strings Are Close 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
Two strings are considered close if you can attain one from the other using the following operations: Operation 1: Swap any two existing characters. For example, abcde -> aecdb Operation 2: Transform every occurrence of one existing character into another existing character, and do the same with the other character.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Hash Table, String, Counting, Sorting
Intuition
Fast membership checks and value lookups are the heart of this problem, which makes a hash map the natural choice.
By storing what we have already seen (or counts/indexes), we can answer the question in one pass without backtracking.
Approach
Scan the input once, using the map to detect when the condition is satisfied and to update state as you go.
This keeps the solution linear while remaining easy to explain in an interview setting.
Steps:
- Initialize a hash map for seen items or counts.
- Iterate through the input, querying/updating the map.
- Return the first valid result or the final computed value.
Example
Input: word1 = "abc", word2 = "bca"
Output: true
Explanation: You can attain word2 from word1 in 2 operations.
Apply Operation 1: "abc" -> "acb"
Apply Operation 1: "acb" -> "bca"
Python Solution
class Solution:
def closeStrings(self, word1: str, word2: str) -> bool:
cnt1, cnt2 = Counter(word1), Counter(word2)
return sorted(cnt1.values()) == sorted(cnt2.values()) and set(
cnt1.keys()
) == set(cnt2.keys())
Complexity
The time complexity is , and the space complexity is . The space complexity is .
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.