[python]leetcode(75). Sort Colors

problem

Given an array with n objects colored red, white or blue, sort them so
that objects of the same color are adjacent, with the colors in the
order red, white and blue.

Here, we will use the integers 0, 1, and 2 to represent the color red,
white, and blue respectively.

Note: You are not suppose to use the library’s sort function for this
problem.

solution

class Solution(object):
    def sortColors(self, nums):
        """
        :type nums: List[int]
        :rtype: void Do not return anything, modify nums in-place instead.
        """
        zero, two = 0, len(nums) - 1
        for i in range(len(nums)):
            while i < two and nums[i] == 2:
                nums[i], nums[two] = nums[two], nums[i]
                two -= 1
            while i > zero and nums[i] == 0:
                nums[i], nums[zero] = nums[zero], nums[i]
                zero += 1

这个解法类似于partition，其中partition使用i记录小于pivot的最有一个元素的位置，在这个程序中分别使用zero和two记录已遍历的最后一个0和2的最后位置。

在for循环中间使用while循环是为了越过已经在正确位置的元素。