
Problem Statement
In this task, given two positive integers n
and k
, we need to create a sequence of binary strings based on n
and determine the k-th
bit in the n-th
string of that sequence. The sequence of binary strings, S1, S2, S3, ... Sn
, is constructed through a specific set of operations:
S1
is initialized to the string"0"
.- Any subsequent
Si
fori > 1
is created by concatenating three segments:- The string
Si-1
. - The string
"1"
. - The inverted and reversed version of
Si-1
.
- The string
For concatenation, we join two strings end-to-end. The reverse(x)
operation reverses the order of bits in the string x
, while the invert(x)
function flips all the bits in the string, changing 0
to 1
and vice versa. From the generated string Sn
, the objective is to find out what the bit at position k
is.
Examples
Example 1
Input:
n = 3, k = 1
Output:
"0"
Explanation:
S3 is "0111001". The 1st bit is "0".
Example 2
Input:
n = 4, k = 11
Output:
"1"
Explanation:
S4 is "011100110110001". The 11th bit is "1".
Constraints
1 <= n <= 20
1 <= k <= 2n - 1
Approach and Intuition
Given the structure of the problem, the approach revolves around understanding how the strings Sn
are constructed and efficiently determining the k-th
bit without necessarily building the entire string Sn
, especially since these strings grow exponentially in length. Below is a breakdown of the approach based on given examples and constraints:
Understanding Sn construction: Each string in the sequence is built using a previous string. Starting from a base, each subsequent string is larger and derived from complex operations on all prior content. Thus, understanding the exact length and composition of strings quickly becomes intractable if done naively for large
n
.Recursive Relations:
- We know that the middle bit of
Si
fori>1
is always1
. - We know that the first half of
Si
(except the middle bit) is the same asSi-1
. - The second half (after the middle bit) of
Si
is the reversed and invertedSi-1
.
Using these properties can lead to a recursive determination of any bit's value in
Si
without explicit string construction:- If the desired bit
k
is the middle bit ofSi
, it’s1
. - If
k
is in the first half (excluding the middle bit), the problem reduces to finding thek-th
bit inSi-1
. - If
k
is in the second half, the problem translates to finding a corresponding bit inSi-1
and then inverting it.
- We know that the middle bit of
Optimal Tracking of k:
- Knowing the length of each
Si
(which is2^i - 1
), allows calculation of whetherk
falls before, at, or after the middle bit. - Using recursive insight, adjust
k
andi
accordingly to find the bit either directly or via inversion.
- Knowing the length of each
This methodology allows us to efficiently trace back through the recursive structure without needing exponential space or time, as direct computation would entail, making it feasible given the constraints.
Solutions
- C++
- Java
- Python
class Solution {
public:
char findKthBit(int n, int k) {
int bitPosition = k & -k;
bool isFlipSection = ((k / bitPosition) >> 1 & 1) == 1;
bool isFirstBitOne = (k & 1) == 0;
if (isFlipSection) {
return isFirstBitOne ? '0' : '1';
} else {
return isFirstBitOne ? '1' : '0';
}
}
};
The provided C++ code defines a function findKthBit
in a class named Solution
. This function determines the k-th bit in the n-th iteration of a specific binary string sequence without explicitly generating the strings. The operation mainly revolves around bit manipulation techniques to identify the correct bit.
Here's the logic breakdown:
bitPosition
is calculated usingk & -k
, which evokes the least significant bit ofk
that is set to one.isFlipSection
is deduced using the formula((k / bitPosition) >> 1 & 1) == 1
that checks if the considered section of the sequence should be flipped based on its position within the sequence.isFirstBitOne
is determined by(k & 1) == 0
to identify whether the position is originally set to '0' or '1'.
Using these flags, the function decides what the output should be:
- If
isFlipSection
is true, the result inversely depends onisFirstBitOne
. - Conversely, if
isFlipSection
is false, the result directly mirrorsisFirstBitOne
.
This approach effectively sidesteps the need to construct large binary strings, proving efficient especially for high values of n and k.
class Solution {
public char determineKthBit(int n, int k) {
// Finding the position of the least significant set bit in k
int sectionPosition = k & -k;
// Checking if k is in the part of the string that is inverted
boolean isInvertedSection = (((k / sectionPosition) >> 1) & 1) == 1;
// Checking if the bit in its original form before inversion was 1
boolean bitOriginallyOne = (k & 1) == 0;
if (isInvertedSection) {
// Flipping the bit if we are in the inverted section
return bitOriginallyOne ? '0' : '1';
} else {
// Keeping the bit as is if not in the inverted section
return bitOriginallyOne ? '1' : '0';
}
}
}
The provided Java solution tackles the problem of finding the kth bit in the nth binary string (generated recursively). The method determineKthBit
is designed to determine the character of the kth bit utilizing bitwise operations without needing to generate the entire string.
Solution Explanation:
sectionPosition
: This finds the position of the least significant set bit in the integer k using the expressionk & -k
. It identifies which section of the recursively generated string k belongs to.isInvertedSection
: This boolean determines if the k value is in a part of the binary string that undergoes inversion in the recursive string generation. It uses shift and bitwise operations to ascertain if the section should be inverted ((((k / sectionPosition) >> 1) & 1) == 1
).bitOriginallyOne
: It checks whether the bit in question was originally '1' before any recursive inversion. If the least significant bit of k (k & 1
) is 0, then it was originally '1'.The final determination of the kth bit considers whether it is in the inverted section:
- If
isInvertedSection
is true, it flips thebitOriginallyOne
result. - If false, it retains the original bit result.
- If
Outcome: The method will return '0' or '1' as the kth bit of the nth binary string. This approach efficiently uses bitwise operations to determine the bit's state directly, which is optimal for large values of n and k, avoiding the potentially vast computational costs of recursively building the string. Note this method depends on the recursive definition and properties of the S sequence the problem refers to.
class Solution:
def getKthBit(self, seriesLen: int, index: int) -> str:
# Identify section location for string manipulation based on index
section_pos = index & -index
# Check if the current section should be inverted or not
section_inverted = ((index // section_pos) >> 1 & 1) == 1
# Verify the original state of the bit
bit_state = (index & 1) == 0
# Return the inverted or normal bit state based on section properties
if section_inverted:
return "0" if bit_state else "1"
else:
return "1" if bit_state else "0"
The provided solution in Python implements a method to find the Kth bit in an algorithmically generated binary string based on a specific series length and the bit's index. The implementation utilizes bitwise operations to efficiently determine and return the state of the Kth bit. Here’s a succinct reiteration of what the code accomplishes:
Calculate the position of the section containing the bit for manipulation using bitwise operations.
section_pos = index & -index
efficiently isolates the lowest set bit ofindex
, which indicates the position.Determine whether the section should be inverted. The expression
section_inverted = ((index // section_pos) >> 1 & 1) == 1
checks if the section's order (determined by the ratio of index and section position) is odd or even, defining whether to invert the bit state.Check the original state of the bit without considering section inversion with
bit_state = (index & 1) == 0
. This step ascertains if the position in a base binary segment is '0' or '1'.Return the correct bit as a string: If the section is inverted, the bit value is flipped; otherwise, it remains the same. This final decision uses the ternary conditions to decide whether the original bit or its inverse should be returned based on the section’s properties.
Essentially, the method effectively leverages mathematical properties and bitwise operations for rapid determination of bit states in a generated binary sequence based on established patterns and series properties.
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