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Top Problem-Solving Approaches in Data

Structures and Algorithms
Shubham Gautam · Follow
Published in EnjoyAlgorithms
11 min read · Sep 3, 2022

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Popular approches in data structures and algorithms

In this blog, we have discussed some popular strategies for solving problems in data
structures and algorithms. Mastering and applying these strategies can help you
more effectively tackle problems and crack the coding interview.

An Incremental approach using Single and Nested loops

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One common approach to problem-solving is to build a solution incrementally using

a loop. There are several variations of this approach:

1. Input-centric strategy: In this approach, we process one input at a time and build
the partial solution with each iteration of the loop.

2. Output-centric strategy: With this approach, we add one output to the solution at
a time and build the partial solution iteratively.

3. Iterative improvement strategy: This involves starting with some easily available
approximations to a solution and then continuously improving upon them until
we reach the final solution.

There are also several approaches based on loops: Using a single loop and variables,
Using nested loops and variables, Incrementing the loop by a constant (more than 1),
Using the loop twice (double traversal), Using a single loop and a prefix array (or
extra memory), etc.
Suggested coding problems to explore
Roman to Integer

Leaders in an array

Valid mountain array

FizzBuzz problem

Insertion, bubble and selection sort

Find max and min in an array

Sort an array in a waveform

Equilibrium index of an array

Find product except self

Rotate matrix by 90 degrees

Spiral traversal of matrix

Find row with max ones

Decrease and Conquer Approach

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The decrease-and-conquer strategy involves solving a problem by finding the

solution of a one subproblem. This typically leads to a recursive algorithm, which
breaks the problem down into smaller input sizes and continues to do so until it
reaches a base case.
Suggested coding problems to explore

Euclid algorithm of finding GCD

Binary search algorithm

Josephus problem

Searching in binary search tree

Insertion in binary search tree

Deletion in binary search tree

Quick-select algorithm to find kth smallest

Problem-solving using Binary Search

The binary search idea can be useful for efficiently solving searching problems when
the array has some order property, such as being sorted. With this approach, we can
find a solution in O(logn) time complexity.

To use binary search, we will need to modify the standard binary search algorithm
based on the specific conditions of the problem. The core idea is to calculate the
mid-index and iterate over the left or right half of the array.

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Binary search approach visualization

Suggested coding problems to explore

Find the square root of an integer

Search in rotated sorted array

Fixed point in array

Search a sorted 2D matrix

Median of sorted arrays

First and last position of element in sorted array

Find maximum in increasing and decreasing array

Divide and Conquer Approach

The divide-and-conquer strategy involves breaking a problem down into multiple
subproblems, solving each of them, and then combining their solutions to get a
solution to the original problem. This approach can be an effective way to solve many
fundamental problems in DSA.

By dividing the problem into smaller pieces, it becomes easier to tackle each piece
individually and then combine the solutions to get a final solution to the overall
problem.

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Divide and conquer approach visualization

Suggested problems to explore

Merge sort algorithm

Quick sort algorithm

Divide and conquer solution of maximum subarray sum

Divide and conquer solution of finding max difference in array

Divide and conquer solution of finding max and min in array

Divide and conquer solution of finding majority element in array

Divide and conquer idea of building segment tree

Two Pointers Approach

The two-pointer approach is a useful strategy for optimizing time and space
complexity in problems involving searching on arrays and linked lists. It uses pairs of

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indices or pointers to simultaneously iterate over two different input parts, which
allows us to perform fewer operations.

There are three variations of this approach:

Pointers are moving in the same direction with the same pace
Merging two sorted arrays

Find intersection of two arrays

Find intersection of two sorted inked lists

Checking an array is a subset of another array

Pointers are moving in the same direction at a different pace (Fast and slow pointers)

Partition process in the quick sort

Remove duplicates from the sorted array

Find the middle node in a linked list

Detect loop in a linked list

Dutch national flag problem

Move all zeroes to the end

Remove nth node from list end

Pointers are moving in the opposite direction
Check pair sum in an array

Finding triplet with zero-sum

Rainwater trapping problem

Container with most water

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Two pointers approach visualization

Sliding Window Approach

The sliding window concept is a common approach used to solve problems involving
arrays or strings. It involves defining a window as a contiguous sequence of
elements, defined by start and end indices. We can perform operations on elements
within the window and then “slide” it in a forward direction by incrementing the left or
right end.

This approach can be effective when the problem involves tasks that must be
performed on a contiguous block of a fixed or variable size. It can also be useful for
improving time complexity by converting a nested loop solution into a single loop
solution.
Suggested problems to explore
Longest substring without repeating characters

Count distinct elements in every window

Max continuous series of 1s

Find max consecutive 1’s in an array

Transform and Conquer Approach

The transform-and-conquer approach involves solving a problem by first
transforming it into another problem that is easier to solve. This approach is broken
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down into two stages: the transformation stage and the conquering stage.

In the transformation stage, we take the original problem and modify it in some way
that makes it easier to solve. In the conquering stage, we then solve the transformed
problem.

Example problems: Pre-sorting based algorithms (Finding the closest pair of points,
checking whether all the elements in a given array are distinct, etc.)

Problem Solving using BFS and DFS Traversal

Many tree and graph problems can be solved using either depth-first search (DFS) or
breadth-first search (BFS) traversal. If we need to search for something closer to the
root or source node, we can use BFS. On the other hand, if we need to search more
deeply, we can use DFS.

In some cases, we can use either BFS or DFS regardless of the order of the nodes.
However, in other cases, the choice of traversal method can make a significant
difference in terms of efficiency. It’s important to consider the specific use case when
deciding which traversal method to use.

In binary tree problems, there are four different types of traversal:

Preorder traversal: This type of traversal visits the root node first, followed by the
left subtree and then the right subtree. It’s useful when we need to explore all the
tree nodes before looking at any leaves.

Inorder traversal: This type of traversal visits the left subtree first, followed by the
root node and then the right subtree. It’s useful when we are working with a
binary search tree (BST) and we want to generate the node’s data in increasing
order.

Postorder traversal: This type of traversal visits the left subtree first, followed by
the right subtree and then the root node. It’s useful when we need to explore all
the leaf nodes before looking at any internal nodes.

Breadth-first search (BFS) traversal: This type of traversal uses a queue to

explore the nodes level by level. It can be useful when we need to find specific
information about a particular level of the tree.

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Problem solving using dfs and bfs visualization

To solve tree and problems, sometimes we use these strategies with traversal:

We use additional variables or pointers as function parameters when we need to

store some information between recursive calls. This is useful when we want to
pass information back up the recursive call stack.

Helper functions are useful when we want to break a complex problem into
smaller, more manageable parts. These helper functions can perform specific
tasks that are needed to solve the overall problem.

Parent pointers can be useful when we need to keep track of the relationship
between a node and its parent in a tree. This can be helpful when we need to
traverse up the tree to find certain information.

Storing additional data inside the nodes can be useful when we want to keep
track of certain information while traversing a tree or graph. For example, we may
want to store whether a node has been visited during a search, or we may want to
store the minimum distance from a particular node to the root.

Data structures like stacks, queues, and priority queues can be useful when we
need to store and access data in a specific order. For example, we can use a stack
to store nodes that we have visited during a depth-first search, or we can use a
queue to store nodes that we need to visit during a breadth-first search.

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Suggested problems to explore

Find min depth of a binary tree

Merge two binary trees

Find the height of a binary tree

Validate Binary Search Tree

Convert sorted array to balanced BST

Find absolute minimum difference in a BST

The kth largest element in a BST

Course scheduling problem, bipartite graph

Find the left view of a binary tree

Problem-solving using Data Structures

The data structure is one of the powerful tools of problem-solving in algorithms. It
helps us perform some of the critical operations efficiently and improves the time
complexity of the solution. Here are some of the key insights:

Many coding problems require an efficient way to perform the search, insert and
delete operations. We can perform all these operations using the hash table in
O(1) time average. It’s a kind of time-memory tradeoff, where we use extra space
to store elements in the hash table to improve performance.

Other times, we may need to store data in a stack (last in, first out) or queue (first
in, first out) to solve certain problems.

If we need to continuously insert or remove the maximum or minimum element

(or an element with the highest or lowest priority), we can use a heap (or priority
queue) to do so efficiently.

Other data structures that can be useful in specific cases include Trie, AVL Tree,
and Segment Tree, which can help us perform certain operations efficiently.

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Problem solving using data structures visualization

Suggested problems to explore

Next greater element

Valid parentheses

Largest rectangle in a histogram

Valid anagram

Largest subarray with 0 sum

Sliding window maximum

kth smallest element in an array

Most frequent element

Top k frequent elements

Longest common prefix

Range sum query

Sort characters by frequency

Longest consecutive sequence

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Check equal array

Data structure design questions

Implement queue using stacks

Implement stack using queues

Least frequently used (LFU) cache

Least recently used (LRU) cache

Design bloom filter

Problem Solving using Dynamic Programming

Dynamic programming is a technique for solving problems that have overlapping or
repeating subproblems. Instead of solving these subproblems repeatedly, we solve
each smaller subproblem just once and store the result in memory.

This can be a very effective way to solve optimization and counting problems. By
storing the results of smaller subproblems and reusing them, we can avoid a lot of
unnecessary computation and improve the efficiency of our solution.

Problem solving using dynamic programming visualization

Suggested problems to explore

Climbing stairs problem

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Maximum subarray sum

Longest common subsequence

Minimum number of jumps to reach end

Minimum coin change

Edit distance problem

Count unique binary search trees

Problem Solving using Greedy Approach

The greedy algorithm is a method for solving optimization problems by constructing
a solution incrementally, making the locally optimal choice at each step. The hope is
that a sequence of these locally optimal choices will lead to a globally optimal
solution for the whole problem.

In this approach, we take the best available option at each step and add it to our
partially constructed solution, without violating the constraints of the problem. This
can be an effective method in some cases, but it’s important to note that it doesn’t
always work. While it’s generally not too difficult to design a greedy algorithm, it can
be more challenging to prove that it produces an optimal solution.
Suggested problems to explore
Fractional knapsack problem

Dijkstra algorithm of finding shortest path in graph

Activity selection problem

Huffman coding algorithm of data compression

Prims algorithm of finding minimum spanning tree in graph

Problem Solving using Backtracking

Backtracking is a method for generating a solution by avoiding unnecessary
possibilities. The main idea behind backtracking is to construct a solution one piece
at a time and evaluate each partial solution as follows:

If the partial solution can be developed further without violating the constraints
of the problem, we do so by taking the first valid option available at the next

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stage.

If there are no valid options at the next stage, meaning that the constraints of the
problem would be violated, we backtrack to the previous stage and try the next
option for that stage instead.

n-queen problem visualization

Suggested problems to explore

N-queen problem

Find all k combinations

Combination sum

Sudoku solver

Problem-solving using Bit manipulation and Numbers theory

Some coding problems are inherently mathematical in nature, but sometimes we
need to identify and exploit the mathematical properties of a problem in order to
solve it efficiently. In these cases, techniques from number theory and bit
manipulation can be very helpful.

Bit manipulation involves understanding the binary representation of the input data
and processing it at the level of individual bits. This can lead to more efficient
solutions, as computers can perform bit-wise operations very quickly. In some cases,
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bit manipulation can even eliminate the need for extra loops and improve
performance by a significant margin.
Suggested problems to explore

Reverse bits

Add binary string

Check the power of two

Find the missing number

Hope you enjoyed the blog. Later we will write a separate blog on each problem-
solving approach. Enjoy learning, Enjoy algorithms!

For more content, explore our free DSA course and coding interview blogs. If you
want to learn live, explore these two courses:

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If you have any queries/doubts/feedback, please write us at

[email protected].

Originally published at https://www.enjoyalgorithms.com/blog/problem-solving-

approaches-in-data-structures-and-algorithms/

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