Problem A: Minimum Carry Operations Given n boxes where each trip can carry at most 2 boxes, the minimum number of trips required is ⌈n / 2⌉, which equals (n + 1) // 2 using integer division. Problem B: Second Largest Unique Value Given n integers with at least two distinct values, find the second l...
Core Concepts The fundamental idea behind greedy algorithms is making the locally optimal choice at each stage with the hope of finding a global optimum. For instance, if given a stack of banknotes and allowed to pick ten, selecting the highest denomination each time ensures the maximum total value....
Given n piles of fruits with different weights, merge them into a single pile by repeatedly combining two piles at a time. Each merge operation consumes energy equal to the sum of the two piles' weights. The goal is to determine the merge sequence that minimizes total energy consumption. For example...