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Leetcode #2317: Maximum XOR After Operations

In this guide, we solve Leetcode #2317 **Maximum XOR After Operations ** 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

You are given a 0-indexed integer array nums. In one operation, select any non-negative integer x and an index i, then update nums[i] to be equal to nums[i] AND (nums[i] XOR x).

Quick Facts

  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Premium: No
  • Tags: Bit Manipulation, Array, Math

Intuition

The problem structure lets us track state with bitwise operations.

Bit operations are constant time and avoid extra memory.

Approach

Apply XOR/AND/OR and shifts to maintain the required invariant.

Aggregate the result in a single pass.

Steps:

  • Identify a bitwise invariant.
  • Combine values with bit operations.
  • Return the aggregated result.

Example

Input: nums = [3,2,4,6] Output: 7 Explanation: Apply the operation with x = 4 and i = 3, num[3] = 6 AND (6 XOR 4) = 6 AND 2 = 2. Now, nums = [3, 2, 4, 2] and the bitwise XOR of all the elements = 3 XOR 2 XOR 4 XOR 2 = 7. It can be shown that 7 is the maximum possible bitwise XOR. Note that other operations may be used to achieve a bitwise XOR of 7.

Python Solution

class Solution: def maximumXOR(self, nums: List[int]) -> int: return reduce(or_, nums)

Complexity

The time complexity is O(n)O(n)O(n), where nnn is the length of nums\textit{nums}nums. The space complexity is O(1)O(1)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.


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