Leetcode #2737: Find the Closest Marked Node
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #2737 Find the Closest Marked Node 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 a positive integer n which is the number of nodes of a 0-indexed directed weighted graph and a 0-indexed 2D array edges where edges[i] = [ui, vi, wi] indicates that there is an edge from node ui to node vi with weight wi. You are also given a node s and a node array marked; your task is to find the minimum distance from s to any of the nodes in marked.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: Yes
- Tags: Graph, Array, Shortest Path, Heap (Priority Queue)
Intuition
We need to repeatedly access the smallest or largest element as the input changes.
A heap provides fast insertions and removals while keeping order.
Approach
Push candidates into the heap as you scan, and pop when you need the best element.
Keep the heap size bounded if the problem requires a top-k structure.
Steps:
- Push candidates into a heap.
- Pop the best candidate when needed.
- Maintain heap size or invariants.
Example
Input: n = 4, edges = [[0,1,1],[1,2,3],[2,3,2],[0,3,4]], s = 0, marked = [2,3]
Output: 4
Explanation: There is one path from node 0 (the green node) to node 2 (a red node), which is 0->1->2, and has a distance of 1 + 3 = 4.
There are two paths from node 0 to node 3 (a red node), which are 0->1->2->3 and 0->3, the first one has a distance of 1 + 3 + 2 = 6 and the second one has a distance of 4.
The minimum of them is 4.
Python Solution
class Solution:
def minimumDistance(
self, n: int, edges: List[List[int]], s: int, marked: List[int]
) -> int:
g = [[inf] * n for _ in range(n)]
for u, v, w in edges:
g[u][v] = min(g[u][v], w)
dist = [inf] * n
vis = [False] * n
dist[s] = 0
for _ in range(n):
t = -1
for j in range(n):
if not vis[j] and (t == -1 or dist[t] > dist[j]):
t = j
vis[t] = True
for j in range(n):
dist[j] = min(dist[j], dist[t] + g[t][j])
ans = min(dist[i] for i in marked)
return -1 if ans >= inf else ans
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.