刷题总结#8

#287. Find the Duplicate Number
Given an array nums containing n + 1 integers where each integer is between 1 and n (inclusive), prove that at least one duplicate number must exist. Assume that there is only one duplicate number, find the duplicate one.
这道题没有想明白啊，送上别人的解答
The main idea is the same with problem Linked List Cycle II,https://leetcode.com/problems/linked-list-cycle-ii/. Use two pointers the fast and the slow. The fast one goes forward two steps each time, while the slow one goes only step each time. They must meet the same item when slow==fast. In fact, they meet in a circle, the duplicate number must be the entry point of the circle when visiting the array from nums[0]. Next we just need to find the entry point. We use a point(we can use the fast one before) to visit form begining with one step each time, do the same job to slow. When fast==slow, they meet at the entry point of the circle. The easy understood code is as follows.

int findDuplicate3(vector& nums)
{
if (nums.size() > 1)
{
int slow = nums[0];
int fast = nums[nums[0]];
while (slow != fast)
{
slow = nums[slow];
fast = nums[nums[fast]];
}

    fast = 0;
    while (fast != slow)
    {
        fast = nums[fast];
        slow = nums[slow];
    }
    return slow;
}
return -1;

}

证明：
When they meet, assume slow tag move s steps, fast tag move 2s steps, the circle length is c.
There must be:

2s = s + n*c

=> s = n*c….(1)

Then, assume the length from start point to entry point is x, and the length from the entry
point to the meet point is a.
There must be: s = x+a….(2)

So, from (1) and (2)

x+a = s = n*c

=> x+a = n*c

=> x+a = (n-1)*c+c

=> x = (n-1)*c+c-a

c-a means the length from the meetpoint to the entry point.

LHS means: the new tag from start point move x steps.

RHS means: the slow tag moves (n-1) cycles plus the length from the meetpoint to the entry point.

So, we can get the entry point when the new tag meet the slow tag.

#230. Kth Smallest Element in a BST
Given a binary search tree, write a function kthSmallest to find the kth smallest element in it.
这道题的trick就是我们的中序遍历就是按照从小到大来浏览的。所以：
int kthSmallest(TreeNode* root, int k) {
int ans,cnt=0;
search(root,k,cnt,ans);
return ans;

}
void search(TreeNode* root,int k,int &cnt,int & ans)
{
    if(root==NULL) return;
    search(root->left,k,cnt,ans);
    cnt++;
    if(cnt==k) {ans=root->val; return;}
    search(root->right,k,cnt,ans);
}