Leetcode #36: Valid Sudoku
In this guide, we solve Leetcode #36 Valid Sudoku 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
Determine if a 9 x 9 Sudoku board is valid. Only the filled cells need to be validated according to the following rules: Each row must contain the digits 1-9 without repetition.
Quick Facts
- Difficulty: Medium
- Premium: No
- Tags: Array, Hash Table, Matrix
Intuition
Fast membership checks and value lookups are the heart of this problem, which makes a hash map the natural choice.
By storing what we have already seen (or counts/indexes), we can answer the question in one pass without backtracking.
Approach
Scan the input once, using the map to detect when the condition is satisfied and to update state as you go.
This keeps the solution linear while remaining easy to explain in an interview setting.
Steps:
- Initialize a hash map for seen items or counts.
- Iterate through the input, querying/updating the map.
- Return the first valid result or the final computed value.
Example
Input: board =
[["5","3",".",".","7",".",".",".","."]
,["6",".",".","1","9","5",".",".","."]
,[".","9","8",".",".",".",".","6","."]
,["8",".",".",".","6",".",".",".","3"]
,["4",".",".","8",".","3",".",".","1"]
,["7",".",".",".","2",".",".",".","6"]
,[".","6",".",".",".",".","2","8","."]
,[".",".",".","4","1","9",".",".","5"]
,[".",".",".",".","8",".",".","7","9"]]
Output: true
Python Solution
class Solution:
def isValidSudoku(self, board: List[List[str]]) -> bool:
row = [[False] * 9 for _ in range(9)]
col = [[False] * 9 for _ in range(9)]
sub = [[False] * 9 for _ in range(9)]
for i in range(9):
for j in range(9):
c = board[i][j]
if c == '.':
continue
num = int(c) - 1
k = i // 3 * 3 + j // 3
if row[i][num] or col[j][num] or sub[k][num]:
return False
row[i][num] = True
col[j][num] = True
sub[k][num] = True
return True
Complexity
The time complexity is and the space complexity is , where is the number of empty spaces in the sudoku. The space complexity is , where is the number of empty spaces in the sudoku.
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.