LeetCode 2232: Minimize Result by Adding Parentheses to Expression

Explanation

To minimize the result by adding parentheses to the expression, we need to understand that the placement of parentheses can affect the order of operations. Since we are limited to adding parentheses to the left and right of the '+' sign, we should aim to minimize the value of the expression.

The key idea is to find the point where we can add the parentheses such that the resulting expression evaluates to the smallest possible value. This point is right before the '+' sign in the expression. By adding parentheses at this point, we can ensure that the sum of the two parts is minimized.

We can achieve this by splitting the expression at the '+' sign and then adding parentheses around the second part of the expression. This way, we ensure that the sum is minimized.

class Solution {
    public String minimizeResult(String expression) {
        int idx = expression.indexOf('+');
        String num1 = expression.substring(0, idx);
        String num2 = expression.substring(idx + 1);
        
        return num1 + "(" + num2 + ")";
    }
}