Maximum number of characters using keystrokes A, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V

Question

This is an interview question from google. I am not able to solve it by myself. Can somebody shed some light?

Write a program to print the sequence of keystrokes suc

Answer 1

Here is my solution with dynamic programming, without a nested loop, and which also prints the actual characters that you'd need to type:

N = 52

count = [0] * N
res = [[]] * N
clipboard = [0] * N

def maybe_update(i, new_count, new_res, new_clipboard):
  if new_count > count[i] or (
      new_count == count[i] and new_clipboard > clipboard[i]):
    count[i] = new_count
    res[i] = new_res
    clipboard[i] = new_clipboard

for i in range(1, N):
  # First option: type 'A'.
  # Using list concatenation for 'res' to avoid O(n^2) string concatenation.
  maybe_update(i, count[i - 1] + 1, res[i - 1] + ['A'], clipboard[i - 1])

  # Second option: type 'CTRL+V'.
  maybe_update(i, count[i - 1] + clipboard[i - 1],  res[i - 1] + ['v'],
               clipboard[i - 1])

  # Third option: type 'CTRL+A, CTRL+C, CTRL+V'.
  # Assumption: CTRL+V always appends.
  if i >= 3:
    maybe_update(i, 2 * count[i - 3],  res[i - 3] + ['acv'], count[i - 3])

for i in range(N):
  print '%2d %7d %6d %-52s' % (i, count[i], clipboard[i], ''.join(res[i]))

This is the output ('a' means 'CTRL+A', etc.)

 0       0      0                                                     
 1       1      0 A                                                   
 2       2      0 AA                                                  
 3       3      0 AAA                                                 
 4       4      0 AAAA                                                
 5       5      0 AAAAA                                               
 6       6      3 AAAacv                                              
 7       9      3 AAAacvv                                             
 8      12      3 AAAacvvv                                            
 9      15      3 AAAacvvvv                                           
10      18      9 AAAacvvacv                                          
11      27      9 AAAacvvacvv                                         
12      36      9 AAAacvvacvvv                                        
13      45      9 AAAacvvacvvvv                                       
14      54     27 AAAacvvacvvacv                                      
15      81     27 AAAacvvacvvacvv                                     
16     108     27 AAAacvvacvvacvvv                                    
17     135     27 AAAacvvacvvacvvvv                                   
18     162     81 AAAacvvacvvacvvacv                                  
19     243     81 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvv                                 
20     324     81 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvv                                
21     405     81 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvvv                               
22     486    243 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacv                              
23     729    243 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv                             
24     972    243 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv                            
25    1215    243 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv                           
26    1458    729 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv                          
27    2187    729 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv                         
28    2916    729 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv                        
29    3645    729 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv                       
30    4374   2187 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv                      
31    6561   2187 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv                     
32    8748   2187 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv                    
33   10935   2187 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv                   
34   13122   6561 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv                  
35   19683   6561 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv                 
36   26244   6561 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv                
37   32805   6561 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv               
38   39366  19683 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv              
39   59049  19683 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv             
40   78732  19683 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv            
41   98415  19683 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv           
42  118098  59049 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv          
43  177147  59049 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv         
44  236196  59049 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv        
45  295245  59049 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv       
46  354294 177147 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv      
47  531441 177147 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv     
48  708588 177147 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvv    
49  885735 177147 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvvv   
50 1062882 531441 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacv  
51 1594323 531441 AAAacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvvacvv 

Answer 2

Here's how I would approach it:

• assume CtrlA = select all
• assume CtrlC = copy selection
• assume CtrlV = paste copied selection

given some text, it takes 4 keystrokes to duplicate it:

• CtrlA to select it all
• CtrlC to copy it
• CtrlV to paste (this will paste over the selection - STATE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS)
• CtrlV to paste again which doubles it.

From there, you can consider doing 4 or 5 A's, then looping through the above. Note that doing ctrl + a, c, v, v will grow your text exponentially as you loop through. If remaining strokes < 4, just keep doing a CtrlV

The key to interviews @ places like Google is to state your assumptions, and communicate your thinking. they want to know how you solve problems.