【leetcode】136. Single Number【java】使用异或

Given an array of integers, every element appears twice except for one. Find that single one.

Note:

Your algorithm should have a linear runtime complexity. Could you implement it without using extra memory?

public class Solution {
    public int singleNumber(int[] nums) {
        if (nums == null || nums.length == 0) {
            return -1;
        }
        int result = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < nums.length; i++) {
            result ^= nums[i];
        }
        return result;
    }
}

This XOR operation works because it's like XORing all the numbers by itself. So if the array is {2,1,4,5,2,4,1} then it will be like we are performing this operation

((2^2)^(1^1)^(4^4)^(5)) => (0^0^0^5) => 5.

Hence picking the odd one out ( 5 in this case).

Another thing important is, just as the asker mentioned, XOR operator is commutative; means:
A^B=B^A
e.g, 5^43^10 = 10^43^5= 43^5^10 =36
So, XOR {2,1,4,5,2,4,1} one by one is same as XOR{2,2,4,4,1,1,5};
And since A^A=0, so:
So ((2^2)^(1^1)^(4^4)^(5)) => (0^0^0^5) => 5.