Leetcode #1860: Incremental Memory Leak
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #1860 Incremental Memory Leak 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
You are given two integers memory1 and memory2 representing the available memory in bits on two memory sticks. There is currently a faulty program running that consumes an increasing amount of memory every second.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Math, Simulation
Intuition
There is a mathematical invariant or formula that directly leads to the result.
Using math avoids unnecessary loops and reduces complexity.
Approach
Derive the formula or update rule, then compute the answer directly.
Handle edge cases like overflow or zero carefully.
Steps:
- Identify the math relationship.
- Compute the result with a loop or formula.
- Handle edge cases.
Example
Input: memory1 = 2, memory2 = 2
Output: [3,1,0]
Explanation: The memory is allocated as follows:
- At the 1st second, 1 bit of memory is allocated to stick 1. The first stick now has 1 bit of available memory.
- At the 2nd second, 2 bits of memory are allocated to stick 2. The second stick now has 0 bits of available memory.
- At the 3rd second, the program crashes. The sticks have 1 and 0 bits available respectively.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def memLeak(self, memory1: int, memory2: int) -> List[int]:
i = 1
while i <= max(memory1, memory2):
if memory1 >= memory2:
memory1 -= i
else:
memory2 -= i
i += 1
return [i, memory1, memory2]
Complexity
The time complexity is , where and are the sizes of the two memory sticks respectively. The space complexity is O(1).
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.