Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number — LeetCode 1850 Python Solution

MediumGreedyTwo PointersString
Problem
#1850
Reading time
6 min

The problem

You are given a string num, representing a large integer, and an integer k. We call some integer wonderful if it is a permutation of the digits in num and is greater in value than num.

Example

Input
num = "5489355142", k = 4
Output
2
Explanation
The 4th smallest wonderful number is "5489355421". To get this number:

Python solution

Python
class Solution:
    def getMinSwaps(self, num: str, k: int) -> int:
        def next_permutation(nums: List[str]) -> bool:
            n = len(nums)
            i = n - 2
            while i >= 0 and nums[i] >= nums[i + 1]:
                i -= 1
            if i < 0:
                return False
            j = n - 1
            while j >= 0 and nums[j] <= nums[i]:
                j -= 1
            nums[i], nums[j] = nums[j], nums[i]
            nums[i + 1 : n] = nums[i + 1 : n][::-1]
            return True

        s = list(num)
        for _ in range(k):
            next_permutation(s)
        d = [[] for _ in range(10)]
        idx = [0] * 10
        n = len(s)
        for i, c in enumerate(num):
            j = ord(c) - ord("0")
            d[j].append(i)
        arr = [0] * n
        for i, c in enumerate(s):
            j = ord(c) - ord("0")
            arr[i] = d[j][idx[j]]
            idx[j] += 1
        return sum(arr[j] > arr[i] for i in range(n) for j in range(i))

Complexity

MeasureComplexity
TimeO(n \times (k + n))
SpaceO(n) auxiliary

Pattern: Two Pointers

Use the order already in the input to discard half the search space at every step. LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number is filed here because LeetCode tags it Two Pointers, which is the vocabulary this hub collects.

The two pointers guide has the Python template for the pattern and the 201 LeetCode problems that use it.

Related problems

Frequently asked questions

How hard is LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number?
LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number is rated Medium on LeetCode.
What is the time complexity of LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number?
The Python solution on this page runs in O(n \times (k + n)).
What is the space complexity of LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number?
The Python solution on this page uses O(n) auxiliary space.
What topics does LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number cover?
LeetCode 1850. Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number is tagged Greedy, Two Pointers and String on LeetCode.

Stuck on problems like this in a live interview?

Stealth Interview is a desktop app for macOS and Windows. It reads the problem off your screen and returns a working solution with a step-by-step explanation and its time and space complexity — invisible to screen sharing.

Get Stealth Interview