Leetcode P27 Remove Element @python Lang (LL)

Link: https://leetcode.com/problems/remove-element/

Content:

Attention:

1. return length
2. first n elements, no matter what leave beyond elements
3. the order can be arbitrary

Method 1: Two pointers
Algorithm: same with P26

1. one pointer cur record the position of array
2. second pointer i traverse the whole array

Code:

class Solution:
    def removeElement(self,nums,val):
        cur = 0        
        for i in range(len(nums)):
            if nums[i] != val:               
                nums[cur] = nums[i]
                cur += 1
        return cur

Time complexity:
O(n): if n elements in array, both cur and i traverse 2n at most.

Method 2: Counter (record the number of val)
same with P26
Code:

class Solution:
    def removeElement(self,nums,val):
        count = 0        
        for i in range(len(nums)):
            if nums[i] == val:               
                count += 1
            else:
            	nums[i-count] = nums[i]
        return len(nums)-count

Method 3: last fill (in the use of the order can be arbitrary)
Algorithm:

1. n means the length of nums
2. i traverse the whole array, condition (i<n)
3. if nums[i] == val, nums[i] = the last number of array, decrease n at the same time, if not, i++
4. return n

Code:

class Solution(object):
    def removeElement(self, nums, val):
        """
        :type nums: List[int]
        :type val: int
        :rtype: int
        """
        n = len(nums)
        i = 0
        while i<n:
            if nums[i] == val:
                nums[i] = nums[n-1]
                n -= 1
            else:
                i += 1
        return n

Best situation:
In this approach, the number of assignment operations is equal to the number of elements to remove. So it is more efficient if elements to remove are rare.

Time complexity:
O(n), both i and n traverse at most n times.