Minimum Cost of a Path With Special Roads — LeetCode 2662 Python Solution

The problem

You are given an array start where start = [startX, startY] represents your initial position (startX, startY) in a 2D space. You are also given the array target where target = [targetX, targetY] represents your target position (targetX, targetY).

Python solution

class Solution:
    def minimumCost(
        self, start: List[int], target: List[int], specialRoads: List[List[int]]
    ) -> int:
        def dist(x1: int, y1: int, x2: int, y2: int) -> int:
            return abs(x1 - x2) + abs(y1 - y2)

        q = [(0, start[0], start[1])]
        vis = set()
        ans = inf
        while q:
            d, x, y = heappop(q)
            if (x, y) in vis:
                continue
            vis.add((x, y))
            ans = min(ans, d + dist(x, y, *target))
            for x1, y1, x2, y2, cost in specialRoads:
                heappush(q, (d + dist(x, y, x1, y1) + cost, x2, y2))
        return ans

Complexity

Pattern: Heap / Priority Queue

Keep only the best k elements, or always pull the smallest, in log time. LeetCode 2662. Minimum Cost of a Path With Special Roads is filed here on both counts: the reference solution below belongs to the algorithm family this hub collects, and LeetCode tags it Heap (Priority Queue).

The heap / priority queue guide has the Python template for the pattern and the 163 LeetCode problems that use it.

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