LeetCode(16), Valid Parenthesis String

Description

Given a string containing only three types of characters: ‘(’, ‘)’ and ‘*’, write a function to check whether this string is valid. We define the validity of a string by these rules:

1. Any left parenthesis ‘(’ must have a corresponding right parenthesis ‘)’.
2. Any right parenthesis ‘)’ must have a corresponding left parenthesis ‘(’.
3. Left parenthesis ‘(’ must go before the corresponding right parenthesis ‘)’.
4. ‘*’ could be treated as a single right parenthesis ‘)’ or a single left parenthesis ‘(’ or an empty string.
5. An empty string is also valid.

Example 1:

Input: "()"
Output: True

Example 2:

Input: "(*)"
Output: True

Example 3:

Input: "(*))"
Output: True

Note:
The string size will be in the range [1, 100].

Solution

Explanation with picture

class Solution {
    public boolean checkValidString(String s) {
        int cmin = 0, cmax = 0;   // open parenthesis openCount in range [cmin, cmax]
        for (int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
            if (s.charAt(i) == '(') {
                cmax++;
                cmin++;
            }
            else if (s.charAt(i) == ')') {
                cmax--;
                cmin--;
            }
            else {
                cmax++;   // if '*' become '('
                cmin--;   // if '*' become ')'
                		  // if '*' become '*', nothing happend
                		  // openCount will be in range [cmin-1, cmax+1]
            }

            // do not have enough open parenthesis to match close parenthesis -> invalid
            if (cmax < 0) return false;

            // it's invalid state that open parenthesis count < 0, it cannot be negative  
            cmin = Math.max(cmin, 0);  

        }

        // if cmin != 0, means that there are open parenthesis left
        // if cmin == 0, means we can found openCount == 0 in range [cmin, cmax]
        return cmin == 0;
    }
}