Find Score of an Array After Marking All Elements

Updated on 28 May, 2025
Find Score of an Array After Marking All Elements header image

Problem Statement

You are provided with an array nums that contains only positive integers. Your goal is to compute a score starting from zero by following a specific algorithm:

  1. Locate the smallest integer that has not yet been marked. In case of a tie, choose the integer that appears first in the array.
  2. Add the value of this integer to a cumulative score.
  3. Mark this integer and its adjacent elements; mark up to two elements, one on each side, if they exist.
  4. Continue this process until you have marked all elements in the array.
  5. The final score, after all elements have been processed and marked according to the rules, is the result to output.

This process combines elements of greedy choice (always picking the smallest unmarked element) and dynamic marking, which affects future choices by rendering some elements unavailable.

Examples

Example 1

Input:

nums = [2,1,3,4,5,2]

Output:

7

Explanation:

We mark the elements as follows:
- 1 is the smallest unmarked element, so we mark it and its two adjacent elements: [2,1,3,4,5,2].
- 2 is the smallest unmarked element, so we mark it and its left adjacent element: [2,1,3,4,5,2].
- 4 is the only remaining unmarked element, so we mark it: [2,1,3,4,5,2].
Our score is 1 + 2 + 4 = 7.

Example 2

Input:

nums = [2,3,5,1,3,2]

Output:

5

Explanation:

We mark the elements as follows:
- 1 is the smallest unmarked element, so we mark it and its two adjacent elements: [2,3,5,1,3,2].
- 2 is the smallest unmarked element, since there are two of them, we choose the left-most one, so we mark the one at index 0 and its right adjacent element: [2,3,5,1,3,2].
- 2 is the only remaining unmarked element, so we mark it: [2,3,5,1,3,2].
Our score is 1 + 2 + 2 = 5.

Constraints

  • 1 <= nums.length <= 105
  • 1 <= nums[i] <= 106

Approach and Intuition

To effectively solve this problem:

  1. Initialization:

    • Start with score = 0 to accumulate the values.
    • Utilize an array or a similar data structure to keep track of which elements have been marked.
  2. Iterative Selection and Marking:

    • Loop until all elements are marked.
    • In each iteration, find the smallest unmarked element. If the smallest number occurs multiple times, select the one with the smallest index.
    • Add the value of this smallest unmarked element to score.
    • Mark this element and if possible, its adjacent elements. This requires handling edge cases where the smallest element might be at the beginning or the end of the array.
  3. Handling Edge Cases:

    • If the chosen element is at the beginning of the array, only mark it and the one next to it.
    • Similar handling is needed if the element is at the end.
    • In the case of an interior element, mark it along with both its immediate neighbors.
  4. Completion:

    • The iteration stops when all elements have been marked. The value of score at this point is the desired output.

This approach leverages greedy algorithms for selection based on value and position and requires careful management of marking elements to ensure that the conditions of the problem are consistently met. The solution will need efficient tracking of unmarked elements and quick updation of the marking status of up to three elements at a time.

Solutions

  • C++
  • Java
  • Python
cpp
class Solution {
public:
    long long calculateSum(vector<int>& elements) {
        long long result = 0;
        for (int index = 0; index < elements.size(); index += 2) {
            int startIndex = index;
            while (index + 1 < elements.size() && elements[index + 1] < elements[index]) {
                index++;
            }
            for (int j = index; j >= startIndex; j -= 2) {
                result += elements[j];
            }
        }
        return result;
    }
};

This C++ solution focuses on calculating the sum of elements in a given array with a special marking condition. The function calculateSum is implemented in a class named Solution. Within the function, an accumulator variable result is initialized to zero, used to store the sum of marked elements.

To achieve the desired sum, the function employs a nested loop mechanism:

  • The outer loop iterates through the array, skipping every second element (index += 2). This selective iteration marks the starting point (startIndex) of a potential scoring sequence.
  • Once the start is marked, an inner while loop searches forward in the array from the current index as long as consecutive elements decrease in value (elements[index + 1] < elements[index]). The purpose of this loop is to extend the range of scoring elements up to the point before the sequence stops decreasing.
  • A nested for loop then iterates backward within the identified range of elements, once again skipping every second element (j -= 2). This loop adds the values of the marked elements to the result.

The function ultimately returns the result, which constitutes the sum of all specially marked elements following the described pattern. This approach ensures that elements are selected based on the specific pattern of decreasing sequences separated by intervals of at least one unselected element.

This calculated sum is reported as the final score after marking all elements based on the defined rules. This method allows efficient identification and summation of parts of the array that fit the specified marking criteria.

java
class Solution {

    public long calculateTotal(int[] nums) {
        long total = 0;
        for (int idx = 0; idx < nums.length; idx += 2) {
            int start = idx;
            while (idx + 1 < nums.length && nums[idx + 1] < nums[idx]) {
                idx++;
            }
            for (
                int k = idx;
                k >= start;
                k -= 2
            ) {
                total += nums[k];
            }
        }
        return total;
    }
}

This Java program defines a method calculateTotal inside a class named Solution, which computes the score of an array after marking elements based on specific conditions. The process involves iterating through the array and summing up certain values strategically to determine the total score. The method accepts an integer array as its parameter.

Here’s a breakdown of how the code works:

  • Declare a long variable total to accumulate the scores, initialized to 0.
  • Use a for loop to traverse through the array. The loop increments by 2 for each iteration, focusing on elements at even indices.
  • Inside the loop, identify segments of the array where elements decrease sequentially. This is done using a while loop that extends the idx as long as the next element is smaller than the current one.
  • Once a decreasing sequence ends, another nested loop sums up every second element from the sequence, starting from the end of the segment back to the start.
  • This calculation considers only elements at even positions within the identified segments, effectively marking them and adding to the total score.
  • Finally, the method returns the accumulated total.

This logic ensures an efficient computation of scores based on the defined rules of marking, making it effective for scenarios that require selective aggregation based on array patterns.

python
class Solution:
    def computeSum(self, elements: List[int]) -> int:
        total_sum = 0
        index = 0
        while index < len(elements):
            segment_begin = index
            while index + 1 < len(elements) and elements[index + 1] < elements[index]:
                index += 1
            segment_end = index
            while segment_end >= segment_begin:
                total_sum += elements[segment_end]
                segment_end -= 2
            index += 2
        return total_sum

The given Python3 code provides a method to compute the sum of certain elements from an array, based on specific conditions. This entails iterating through the array to find segments where elements continuously descend and then summing every other element in such segments.

  • The computeSum method from the Solution class takes an array, elements, as input.
  • It initializes total_sum to zero, which will hold the running total of the sum satisfying the conditions set forth.
  • The code uses a while loop to traverse through the array. For every element, it identifies segments where the value of the subsequent element is less than the current one.
  • Once a segment is identified, another loop counts backwards from the segment's end, adding alternate elements (skipping one between additions) to total_sum.
  • After processing a complete segment, the outer loop skips to the next possible segment starting point by incrementing the index by 2.
  • Finally, the computeSum method returns the accumulated total_sum, which represents the sum of all eligible elements based on the defined segments and skip pattern.

This ensures efficient and tailored addition of array values as per specified conditions, providing a comprehensive method to evaluate segments and achieve the desired summation.

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