Combination Sum

Problem

Given an array of distinct integers candidates and a target integer target, return a list of all unique combinations of candidates where the chosen numbers sum to target. You may return the combinations in any order.

The same number may be chosen from candidates an unlimited number of times. Two combinations are unique if the frequency of at least one of the chosen numbers is different.

The test cases are generated such that the number of unique combinations that sum up to target is less than 150 combinations for the given input.

Example 1:

Input: candidates = [2,3,6,7], target = 7
Output: [[2,2,3],[7]]
Explanation:
2 and 3 are candidates, and 2 + 2 + 3 = 7. Note that 2 can be used multiple times.
7 is a candidate, and 7 = 7.
These are the only two combinations.

Example 2:

Input: candidates = [2,3,5], target = 8
Output: [[2,2,2,2],[2,3,3],[3,5]]

Example 3:

Input: candidates = [2], target = 1
Output: []

Constraints:

  • 1 <= candidates.length <= 30
  • 2 <= candidates[i] <= 40
  • All elements of candidates are distinct.
  • 1 <= target <= 40

Solution

class Solution {
    public List<List<Integer>> combinationSum(int[] candidates, int target) {
        var answers = new ArrayList<List<Integer>>();
        solve(candidates, 0, target, List.of(), answers);
        return answers;
    }

    public void solve(int[] candidates, int n, int target, List<Integer> current, List<List<Integer>> answers) {
        var sum = current.stream().reduce(Integer::sum).orElse(0);

        if (sum == target) {
            answers.add(current);
            return;
        }

        for (var i = n; i < candidates.length; i++) {
            if (sum + candidates[i] > target) {
                continue;
            }
            var copy = new ArrayList<>(current);
            copy.add(candidates[i]);
            solve(candidates, i, target, copy, answers);
        }
    }
}

Recent posts from blogs that I like

In memoriam Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: 2, 1887-1926

More paintings of Russian and Slavic legends and folk tales, including Bogatyrs, Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, and the Frog Princess.

via The Eclectic Light Company

Powerful AIs might escape containment by releasing themselves as open-weight models

Before large language models, people who worried about AI safety often talked about the “boxing problem”. It goes like this. Suppose some genius figures out artificial intelligence in a late-night coding session on their laptop. Because they’re a genius, they’re smart enough to disable internet acce...

via Sean Goedecke

AI in Linux

The role of AI tools (LLMs, mainly) in Linux is under discussion, or it was, until Linus Torvalds “put his foot down” in support of the use of AI in Linux kernel development. I can identify two major ways in which AI is used for Linux kernel development: authoring code and reviewing code. There are,...

via Drew DeVault