* Return the smallest character that is strictly larger than the search character,
* If no such character exists, return the smallest character in the array
* @param sortedStr : sorted list of letters, sorted in ascending order.
* @param c : character for which we are searching.
* Given the following inputs we expect the corresponding output:
* ['c', 'f', 'j', 'p', 'v'], 'a' => 'c'
* ['c', 'f', 'j', 'p', 'v'], 'c' => 'f'
* ['c', 'f', 'j', 'p', 'v'], 'k' => 'p'
* ['c', 'f', 'j', 'p', 'v'], 'z' => 'c' // The wrap around case
* ['c', 'f', 'k'], 'f' => 'k'
* ['c', 'f', 'k'], 'c' => 'f'
* ['c', 'f', 'k'], 'd' => 'f'
*/
Click here for the original problem.
The problem doesn't clarify if duplicates are allowed in the array. So I wrote two.
public class SmallestCharacter {
public char nextChar(char[] list, char c) {
if (list == null || list.length == 0)
throw new IllegalArgumentException("Null or empty list!");
int start = 0;
int end = list.length - 1;
if (c < list[0] || c >= list[list.length - 1])
return list[0];
while (start < end) {
int mid = (start + end) / 2;
if (c == list[mid]) {
//System.out.println(mid + ": " + list[mid]);
return list[mid + 1];
}
else if (c < list[mid]) {
//System.out.println("smaller: " + mid);
end = mid - 1;
}
else {
//System.out.println("greater: " + mid);
start = mid + 1;
}
}
if (list[start] == c)
return list[start + 1];
return list[start];
}
}
Duplicates are allowed (not much difference though...)
public char nextChar2(char[] list, char c) {
if (list == null || list.length == 0)
throw new IllegalArgumentException("Null or empty list!");
int start = 0;
int end = list.length - 1;
if (c < list[0] || c >= list[list.length - 1])
return list[0];
while (start < end) {
int mid = (start + end) / 2;
if (c == list[mid]) {
if (list[mid + 1] > c)
return list[mid + 1];
else
start = mid + 1;
}
else if (c < list[mid]) {
end = mid - 1;
}
else
start = mid + 1;
}
if (list[start] == c)
return list[start + 1];
return list[start];
}
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