Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful — LeetCode 2914 Python Solution

MediumString
Problem
#2914
Pattern
Hash Map
Reading time
2 min

The problem

You are given a 0-indexed binary string s having an even length. A string is beautiful if it's possible to partition it into one or more substrings such that: Each substring has an even length.

Example

Input
s = "1001"
Output
2
Explanation
We change s[1] to 1 and s[3] to 0 to get string "1100".

Python solution

Python
class Solution:
    def minChanges(self, s: str) -> int:
        return sum(s[i] != s[i - 1] for i in range(1, len(s), 2))

Complexity

MeasureComplexity
TimeO(n), where n is the length of the string s
SpaceO(1) auxiliary

Pattern: Hash Map

Trade memory for time: remember what you have seen so the second pass never happens. LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful is filed here because the reference solution below belongs to the algorithm family this hub collects, even though its LeetCode tags point elsewhere.

The hash map guide has the Python template for the pattern and the 709 LeetCode problems that use it.

Related problems

Frequently asked questions

How hard is LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful?
LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful is rated Medium on LeetCode.
What is the time complexity of LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful?
The Python solution on this page runs in O(n), where n is the length of the string s.
What is the space complexity of LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful?
The Python solution on this page uses O(1) auxiliary space.
What topics does LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful cover?
LeetCode 2914. Minimum Number of Changes to Make Binary String Beautiful is tagged String on LeetCode.

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