Regions Cut by Slashes
Explore how to apply the union find algorithm to determine the number of adjacent regions created by slashes in an n by n grid. This lesson guides you through understanding the problem, visualizing the grid, and implementing a solution that handles complex adjacency conditions, helping you solve similar graph-based challenges in coding interviews.
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Statement
An grid is composed of , squares, where each square consists of a “/”, “\”, or a blank space. These characters divide the square into adjacent regions.
Given the grid represented as a string array, return the number of adjacent regions.
Note:
- Backslash characters are escaped, so “\” is represented as “\\”.
- A square in the grid will be referred to as a box.
Constraints:
- The grid consists of only the “/”, “\”, or " " characters.
- 1
grid.length30
The following illustration shows how the grid can be visualized:
Examples
Understand the problem
Let’s take a moment to make sure you’ve correctly understood the problem. The quiz below helps you check if you’re solving the correct problem:
Regions Cut By Slashes
What is the output if the following grid is given as input?
grid = ["\\/", “/\\”]
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Figure it out!
We have a game for you to play. Rearrange the logical building blocks to develop a clearer understanding of how to solve this problem.
Try it yourself
Implement your solution in RegionCut.java in the following coding playground. You will need the provided supporting code to implement your solution.
/*⬅️ We have provided a UnionFind.java file under the "Files" tabof this widget. You can use this file to build your solution.*/import org.apache.commons.text.*;public class RegionCut{public static int regionsBySlashes(String[] grid) {// Replace this placeholder return statement with your codereturn -1;}}