Stealth Interview
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • Login
  • Sign up

Leetcode #2166: Design Bitset

In this guide, we solve Leetcode #2166 Design Bitset 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.

Leetcode

Problem Statement

A Bitset is a data structure that compactly stores bits. Implement the Bitset class: Bitset(int size) Initializes the Bitset with size bits, all of which are 0.

Quick Facts

  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Premium: No
  • Tags: Design, Array, Hash Table, String

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 ["Bitset", "fix", "fix", "flip", "all", "unfix", "flip", "one", "unfix", "count", "toString"] [[5], [3], [1], [], [], [0], [], [], [0], [], []] Output [null, null, null, null, false, null, null, true, null, 2, "01010"] Explanation Bitset bs = new Bitset(5); // bitset = "00000". bs.fix(3); // the value at idx = 3 is updated to 1, so bitset = "00010". bs.fix(1); // the value at idx = 1 is updated to 1, so bitset = "01010". bs.flip(); // the value of each bit is flipped, so bitset = "10101". bs.all(); // return False, as not all values of the bitset are 1. bs.unfix(0); // the value at idx = 0 is updated to 0, so bitset = "00101". bs.flip(); // the value of each bit is flipped, so bitset = "11010". bs.one(); // return True, as there is at least 1 index with value 1. bs.unfix(0); // the value at idx = 0 is updated to 0, so bitset = "01010". bs.count(); // return 2, as there are 2 bits with value 1. bs.toString(); // return "01010", which is the composition of bitset.

Python Solution

class Bitset: def __init__(self, size: int): self.a = ['0'] * size self.b = ['1'] * size self.cnt = 0 def fix(self, idx: int) -> None: if self.a[idx] == '0': self.a[idx] = '1' self.cnt += 1 self.b[idx] = '0' def unfix(self, idx: int) -> None: if self.a[idx] == '1': self.a[idx] = '0' self.cnt -= 1 self.b[idx] = '1' def flip(self) -> None: self.a, self.b = self.b, self.a self.cnt = len(self.a) - self.cnt def all(self) -> bool: return self.cnt == len(self.a) def one(self) -> bool: return self.cnt > 0 def count(self) -> int: return self.cnt def toString(self) -> str: return ''.join(self.a) # Your Bitset object will be instantiated and called as such: # obj = Bitset(size) # obj.fix(idx) # obj.unfix(idx) # obj.flip() # param_4 = obj.all() # param_5 = obj.one() # param_6 = obj.count() # param_7 = obj.toString()

Complexity

The time complexity is O(n). The space complexity is O(n).

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.


Ace your next coding interview

We're here to help you ace your next coding interview.

Subscribe
Stealth Interview
© 2026 Stealth Interview®Stealth Interview is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
Product
  • Blog
  • Pricing
Company
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy