leetcode - Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock III

class Solution {
public:
    int maxProfit(vector<int>& prices) {
        if (prices.size() <= 1) return 0;
        vector<int> left(prices.size(), 0);
        vector<int> right(prices.size(), 0);
        int min_p = prices[0];
        int max_p = prices.back();
        for (int i = 1; i < prices.size(); ++i) {
            min_p = min(min_p, prices[i]);
            left[i] = max(left[i-1], prices[i]-min_p);
        }
        for (int i = prices.size()-2; i >= 0; --i) {
            max_p = max(max_p, prices[i]);
            right[i] = max(right[i+1], max_p-prices[i]);
        }

        int result = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < prices.size(); ++i) {
            result = max(result, left[i]+right[i]);
        }
        return result;
    }
};

• AC
• 16ms
• beat 4.53%

best solution in discuss

public class Solution {
    public int maxProfit(int[] prices) {
        int hold1 = Integer.MIN_VALUE, hold2 = Integer.MIN_VALUE;
        int release1 = 0, release2 = 0;
        for(int i:prices){                              // Assume we only have 0 money at first
            release2 = Math.max(release2, hold2+i);     // The maximum if we've just sold 2nd stock so far.
            hold2    = Math.max(hold2,    release1-i);  // The maximum if we've just buy  2nd stock so far.
            release1 = Math.max(release1, hold1+i);     // The maximum if we've just sold 1nd stock so far.
            hold1    = Math.max(hold1,    -i);          // The maximum if we've just buy  1st stock so far. 
        }
        return release2; ///Since release1 is initiated as 0, so release2 will always higher than release1.
    }
}