LeetCode 2486: Append Characters to String to Make Subsequence Solution

Master LeetCode problem 2486 (Append Characters to String to Make Subsequence), a medium challenge, with our optimized solutions in Java, C++, and Python. Explore detailed explanations, test your code in our interactive editor, and prepare for coding interviews.

2486. Append Characters to String to Make Subsequence

Medium

Two Pointers String Greedy

Problem Explanation

Explanation:

To solve this problem, we can iterate through the characters of the strings s and t simultaneously. We maintain two pointers, one for each string. If the characters at the current positions match, we move both pointers. If they don't match, we only move the pointer for string s and keep track of the number of characters we need to append to s to make t a subsequence of s.

Time Complexity:

The time complexity of this solution is O(n), where n is the length of the longer string between s and t.

Space Complexity:

The space complexity of this solution is O(1) as we are using constant extra space.

Solution Code

class Solution {
    public int minCharacters(String s, String t) {
        int i = 0, j = 0;
        int count = 0;

        while (i < s.length() && j < t.length()) {
            if (s.charAt(i) == t.charAt(j)) {
                i++;
                j++;
            } else {
                i++;
                count++;
            }
        }

        count += t.length() - j;

        return count;
    }
}

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the time complexity of LeetCode 2486 (Append Characters to String to Make Subsequence)?

The time complexity for LeetCode 2486 (Append Characters to String to Make Subsequence) varies by solution. Check the detailed explanation section for specific complexities in Java, C++, and Python implementations.

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