7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

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October 24, 2021 • Arrays / Data Structure Search

next_permutation : find next Search

lexicographically greater
permutation
Problem Statement: Given an array Arr[] of integers, rearrange the numbers
of the given array into the lexicographically next greater permutation of
numbers.

If such an arrangement is not possible, it must rearrange to the lowest

possible order (i.e., sorted in ascending order).

Examples

Practice: Solve Problem Solve Problem

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Disclaimer: Don’t jump directly to the solution, try it out yourself first.

Solution 1

Solution 2

Using in-built function

C++ provides an in-built function called next_permutation() which directly

returns the lexicographically next greater permutation of the input.

Code

C++ Java Python Javascript

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>
#include<algorithm>
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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

using namespace std; Latest Video on

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int main() {
int arr[] = {1,3,2};
Update on A…
A…
next_permutation(arr,arr+3);//using in-built function

cout<<arr[0]<<" "<<arr[1]<<" "<<arr[2];

return 0;
}

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Output: The next permutation is: 2 1 3
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Solution 3 NEW APART…

APART…

Algorithm / Intuition

The steps are the following:

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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

1. Find the break-point, i: Break-point means the first index i from the
back of the given array where arr[i] becomes smaller than arr[i+1].
For example, if the given array is {2,1,5,4,3,0,0}, the break-point will
be index 1(0-based indexing). Here from the back of the array, index
1 is the first index where arr[1] i.e. 1 is smaller than arr[i+1] i.e. 5.
To find the break-point, using a loop we will traverse the array backward
and store the index i where arr[i] is less than the value at index (i+1) i.e.
arr[i+1].
2. If such a break-point does not exist i.e. if the array is sorted in
decreasing order, the given permutation is the last one in the
sorted order of all possible permutations. So, the next permutation
must be the first i.e. the permutation in increasing order.
So, in this case, we will reverse the whole array and will return it as
our answer.
3. If a break-point exists:

1. Find the smallest number i.e. > arr[i] and in the right half of
index i(i.e. from index i+1 to n-1) and swap it with arr[i].
2. Reverse the entire right half(i.e. from index i+1 to n-1) of
index i. And finally, return the array.
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Note: For a better understanding of intuition, please watch the video at Capacity to Ship Packages
the bottom of the page. within D Days

Find the Smallest Divisor

Intuition:
Given a Threshold

We build up the intuition of the algorithm through the following Minimum days to make M
observations. bouquets

Koko Eating Bananas

Observations

Observation 1

Let’s try to observe some dictionary-ordered strings like “raj”,

“rax”, and “rbx”. If we carefully observe, we can notice that
these strings contain a common prefix, and the rankings are
done based on the differentiating characters.

Solution
Striver’s SDE 1 “raj”A2Z
Sheet Striver’s
For example, Solution
and 2 a common
DSA Course/Sheet
“rax” has Solution 3 “ra”
Striver’s DSA
prefix i.e.
Playlists CS Subjects Interview Prep Sheets Striver’s CP Sheet
and
the differentiating characters are ‘j’ and ‘x’. Now, as ‘j’ appears
before ‘x’ in the alphabet, “raj” appears before “rax” in the given
order. The same logic is applicable for “rax” and “rbx”(Common
prefix: “r”, differentiating characters: ‘a’ and ‘b’).

The same observation can be done on the permutations of

numbers. For example, if the array is [1, 2, 3], all possible
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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

permutations in sorted order will look like the following:

[1, 2, 3]
[1, 3, 2]
[2, 1, 3]
[2, 3, 1]
[3, 1, 2]
[3, 2, 1]

In the above cases, we can also notice that all the

permutations contain an index i(between the first and second
last index) such that its right part is sorted in decreasing order.
Now, if we look at the array in the backward direction, it is
sorted in increasing order up to index i (from n-1 to index i+1).

We can call this index i as the break-point of the array. The left
half of index i (the length of the left half might be 0) in the current
permutation is the same as in the previous permutation. And
the right half of the break-point is always in decreasing order.

The structure of every possible permutation is the following:

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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

After all, we can conclude that the difference between the

next and current permutation always starts at the index i i.e.
the break-point. How to find the break-point in an array:
We can clearly observe that the right half of the break-point
will always be in decreasing order. So, from the backside, the googleads.g.doubleclick.net’s
server IP address could not be
array will be in increasing order up to the break-point index.
found.
Keeping this in mind, we will traverse the array from the
backside and we will break from the first index where arr[i]
becomes smaller than arr[i+1]. The code will look like the
following:

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Observation 2

Observation 3

Observation 4

Dry Run

Code

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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

C++ Java Python Javascript

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

vector<int> nextGreaterPermutation(vector<int> &A) {

int n = A.size(); // size of the array.

// Step 1: Find the break point:

int ind = -1; // break point
for (int i = n - 2; i >= 0; i--) {
if (A[i] < A[i + 1]) {
// index i is the break point
ind = i;
break;
}
}

// If break point does not exist:

if (ind == -1) {
// reverse the whole array:
reverse(A.begin(), A.end());
return A;
}

// Step 2: Find the next greater element

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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

// and swap it with arr[ind]:

for (int i = n - 1; i > ind; i--) {

if (A[i] > A[ind]) {
swap(A[i], A[ind]);
break;
}
}

// Step 3: reverse the right half:

reverse(A.begin() + ind + 1, A.end());

return A;
}

int main()
{
vector<int> A = {2, 1, 5, 4, 3, 0, 0};
vector<int> ans = nextGreaterPermutation(A);

cout << "The next permutation is: [";

for (auto it : ans) {
cout << it << " ";
}
cout << "]n";
return 0;
}

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7/9/23, 3:41 PM next_permutation : find next lexicographically greater permutation - Arrays - Tutorial

Output: The next permutation is: [2 3 0 0 1 4 5 ]

Complexity Analysis

Video Explanation

Special thanks to Dewanshi Paul and KRITIDIPTA GHOSH for contributing

to this article on takeUforward. If you also wish to share your knowledge
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