Add two binary strings
Last Updated :
24 Oct, 2024
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Given two binary strings s1 and s2, the task is to return their sum.The input strings may contain leading zeros but the output string should not have any leading zeros.
Example:
Input: s1 = "1101", s2 = "111"
Output: "10100"
Explanation:Input: s1 = "00100", s2 = "010"
Output: "110"
Try it on GfG Practice 
Bit-by-bit addition with carry - O(n + m) Time and O(1) Space
The idea is to first trim the leading zeros in the input strings. Now, start from the last characters of the strings and compute the digit sum one by one. If the sum becomes more than 1, then store carry for the next digits. Also consider this carry while calculating the digit sum. After calculating the sum, if an additional carry is generated, prepend a '1' of the result.
// C++ program to add two binary strings
// using Bit-by-Bit addition
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// Function to trim leading zeros from a binary string
string trimLeadingZeros(const string &s) {
// Find the position of the first '1'
size_t firstOne = s.find('1');
return (firstOne == string::npos) ? "0" : s.substr(firstOne);
}
// This function adds two binary strings and return
// result as a third string
string addBinary(string &s1, string &s2) {
// Trim leading zeros
s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1);
s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2);
int n = s1.size();
int m = s2.size();
// swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length
if (n < m) {
return addBinary(s2, s1);
}
int j = m - 1;
int carry = 0;
// Traverse both strings from the end
for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
// Current bit of s1
int bit1 = s1[i] - '0';
int sum = bit1 + carry;
// If there are remaining bits in s2, add them to the sum
if (j >= 0) {
// Current bit of s2
int bit2 = s2[j] - '0';
sum += bit2;
j--;
}
// Calculate the result bit and update carry
int bit = sum % 2;
carry = sum / 2;
// Update the current bit in s1
s1[i] = (char)(bit + '0');
}
// If there's any carry left, update s1
if (carry > 0) {
s1 = '1' + s1;
}
return s1;
}
int main() {
string s1 = "1101", s2 = "111";
cout << addBinary(s1, s2) << endl;
return 0;
}
// C++ program to add two binary strings// using Bit-by-Bit additionusing namespace std;// Function to trim leading zeros from a binary stringstring trimLeadingZeros(const string &s) { // Find the position of the first '1' size_t firstOne = s.find('1'); return (firstOne == string::npos) ? "0" : s.substr(firstOne);}// This function adds two binary strings and return// result as a third stringstring addBinary(string &s1, string &s2) { // Trim leading zeros s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1); s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2); int n = s1.size(); int m = s2.size(); // swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length if (n < m) { return addBinary(s2, s1); } int j = m - 1; int carry = 0; // Traverse both strings from the end for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) { // Current bit of s1 int bit1 = s1[i] - '0'; int sum = bit1 + carry; // If there are remaining bits in s2, add them to the sum if (j >= 0) { // Current bit of s2 int bit2 = s2[j] - '0'; sum += bit2; j--; } // Calculate the result bit and update carry int bit = sum % 2; carry = sum / 2; // Update the current bit in s1 s1[i] = (char)(bit + '0'); } // If there's any carry left, update s1 if (carry > 0) { s1 = '1' + s1; } return s1;}int main() { string s1 = "1101", s2 = "111"; cout << addBinary(s1, s2) << endl; return 0;}// Java program to add two binary strings
// using Bit-by-Bit addition
class GfG {
// Function to trim leading zeros from a binary string
static String trimLeadingZeros(String s) {
// Find the position of the first '1'
int firstOne = s.indexOf('1');
return (firstOne == -1) ? "0"
: s.substring(firstOne);
}
// This function adds two binary strings and return
// result as a third string
static String addBinary(String s1, String s2) {
// Trim Leading Zeros
s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1);
s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2);
int n = s1.length();
int m = s2.length();
// Swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length
if (n < m) {
return addBinary(s2, s1);
}
int j = m - 1;
int carry = 0;
StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();
// Traverse both strings from the end
for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
// Current bit of s1
int bit1 = s1.charAt(i) - '0';
int sum = bit1 + carry;
// If there are remaining bits in s2, add them
// to the sum
if (j >= 0) {
// Current bit of s2
int bit2 = s2.charAt(j) - '0';
sum += bit2;
j--;
}
// Calculate the result bit and update carry
int bit = sum % 2;
carry = sum / 2;
// Update the current bit in result
result.append((char)(bit + '0'));
}
// If there's any carry left, update the result
if (carry > 0)
result.append('1');
return result.reverse().toString();
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
String s1 = "1101";
String s2 = "111";
System.out.println(addBinary(s1, s2));
}
}
# Python program to add two binary strings
# using Bit-by-Bit addition
def trimLeadingZeros(s):
# Find the position of the first '1'
firstOne = s.find('1')
return s[firstOne:] if firstOne != -1 else "0"
# This function adds two binary strings and return
# result as a third string
def addBinary(s1, s2):
# Trim Leading Zeros
s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1)
s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2)
n = len(s1)
m = len(s2)
# Swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length
if n < m:
s1, s2 = s2, s1
n, m = m, n
j = m - 1
carry = 0
result = []
# Traverse both strings from the end
for i in range(n - 1, -1, -1):
# Current bit of s1
bit1 = int(s1[i])
bitSum = bit1 + carry
# If there are remaining bits in s2
# add them to the bitSum
if j >= 0:
# Current bit of s2
bit2 = int(s2[j])
bitSum += bit2
j -= 1
# Calculate the result bit and update carry
bit = bitSum % 2
carry = bitSum // 2
# Update the current bit in result
result.append(str(bit))
# If there's any carry left, prepend it to the result
if carry > 0:
result.append('1')
return ''.join(result[::-1])
if __name__ == "__main__":
s1 = "1101"
s2 = "111"
print(addBinary(s1, s2))
// C# program to add two binary strings
// using Bit-by-Bit addition
using System;
class GfG {
// Function to trim leading zeros from a binary string
static string trimLeadingZeros(string s) {
// Find the position of the first '1'
int firstOne = s.IndexOf('1');
return (firstOne == -1) ? "0" : s.Substring(firstOne);
}
// This function adds two binary strings and return
// result as a third string
static string addBinary(string s1, string s2) {
// Trim leading zeros
s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1);
s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2);
int n = s1.Length;
int m = s2.Length;
// Swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length
if (n < m) {
return addBinary(s2, s1);
}
int j = m - 1;
int carry = 0;
char[] result = new char[n];
// Traverse both strings from the end
for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
// Current bit of s1
int bit1 = s1[i] - '0';
int sum = bit1 + carry;
// If there are remaining bits in s2, add them to the sum
if (j >= 0) {
// Current bit of s2
int bit2 = s2[j] - '0';
sum += bit2;
j--;
}
// Calculate the result bit and update carry
int bit = sum % 2;
carry = sum / 2;
// Update the current bit in result
result[i] = (char)(bit + '0');
}
// If there's any carry left, prepend it to the result
if (carry > 0) {
return '1' + new string(result);
}
return new string(result);
}
static void Main() {
string s1 = "1101";
string s2 = "111";
Console.WriteLine(addBinary(s1, s2));
}
}
// JavaScript program to add two binary strings
// using Bit-by-Bit addition
// Function to trim leading zeros from a binary string
function trimLeadingZeros(s) {
// Find the position of the first '1'
let firstOne = s.indexOf('1');
return (firstOne === -1) ? "0" : s.substring(firstOne);
}
// This function adds two binary strings and return
// result as a third string
function addBinary(s1, s2) {
// Trim leading zeros
s1 = trimLeadingZeros(s1);
s2 = trimLeadingZeros(s2);
let n = s1.length;
let m = s2.length;
// Swap the strings if s1 is of smaller length
if (n < m) {
return addBinary(s2, s1);
}
let j = m - 1;
let carry = 0;
let result = [];
// Traverse both strings from the end
for (let i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
// Current bit of s1
let bit1 = s1[i] - '0';
let sum = bit1 + carry;
// If there are remaining bits in s2, add them to the sum
if (j >= 0) {
// Current bit of s2
let bit2 = s2[j] - '0';
sum += bit2;
j--;
}
// Calculate the result bit and update carry
let bit = sum % 2;
carry = Math.floor(sum / 2);
// Update the current bit in result
result.push(bit);
}
// If there's any carry left, prepend it to the result
if (carry > 0) {
result.push(1);
}
return result.reverse().join('');
}
console.log(addBinary("1101", "111"));
Output
10100
Time Complexity: O(n + m), for traversing the strings.
Auxiliary Space: O(n), for result array as strings are immutable in most of language and O(1) in C++ where strings are mutable.
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- Subtract two numbers without using arithmetic operators
Add two binary strings
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