Leetcode #2285: Maximum Total Importance of Roads
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #2285 Maximum Total Importance of Roads 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 an integer n denoting the number of cities in a country. The cities are numbered from 0 to n - 1.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Greedy, Graph, Sorting, Heap (Priority Queue)
Intuition
A locally optimal choice leads to a globally optimal result for this structure.
That means we can commit to decisions as we scan without backtracking.
Approach
Sort or preprocess if needed, then repeatedly take the best available local choice.
Maintain the minimal state necessary to validate the greedy decision.
Steps:
- Sort or preprocess as needed.
- Iterate and pick the best local option.
- Track the current solution.
Example
Input: n = 5, roads = [[0,1],[1,2],[2,3],[0,2],[1,3],[2,4]]
Output: 43
Explanation: The figure above shows the country and the assigned values of [2,4,5,3,1].
- The road (0,1) has an importance of 2 + 4 = 6.
- The road (1,2) has an importance of 4 + 5 = 9.
- The road (2,3) has an importance of 5 + 3 = 8.
- The road (0,2) has an importance of 2 + 5 = 7.
- The road (1,3) has an importance of 4 + 3 = 7.
- The road (2,4) has an importance of 5 + 1 = 6.
The total importance of all roads is 6 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 7 + 6 = 43.
It can be shown that we cannot obtain a greater total importance than 43.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def maximumImportance(self, n: int, roads: List[List[int]]) -> int:
deg = [0] * n
for a, b in roads:
deg[a] += 1
deg[b] += 1
deg.sort()
return sum(i * v for i, v in enumerate(deg, 1))
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.