# Time: O((R * C)^2) # Space: O(1) # This question is about implementing a basic elimination algorithm for Candy Crush. # # Given a 2D integer array board representing the grid of candy, # different positive integers board[i][j] represent different types of candies. # A value of board[i][j] = 0 represents that the cell at position (i, j) is empty. # The given board represents the state of the game following the player's move. # Now, you need to restore the board to a stable state by crushing candies according to the following rules: # # If three or more candies of the same type are adjacent vertically or horizontally, # "crush" them all at the same time - these positions become empty. # # After crushing all candies simultaneously, # if an empty space on the board has candies on top of itself, # then these candies will drop until they hit a candy or bottom at the same time. # (No new candies will drop outside the top boundary.) # # After the above steps, there may exist more candies that can be crushed. # If so, you need to repeat the above steps. # If there does not exist more candies that can be crushed (ie. the board is stable), # then return the current board. # You need to perform the above rules until the board becomes stable, then return the current board. # # Example 1: # Input: # board = # [[110,5,112,113,114],[210,211,5,213,214],[310,311,3,313,314],[410,411,412,5,414],[5,1,512,3,3],[610,4,1,613,614],[710,1,2,713,714],[810,1,2,1,1],[1,1,2,2,2],[4,1,4,4,1014]] # Output: # [[0,0,0,0,0],[0,0,0,0,0],[0,0,0,0,0],[110,0,0,0,114],[210,0,0,0,214],[310,0,0,113,314],[410,0,0,213,414],[610,211,112,313,614],[710,311,412,613,714],[810,411,512,713,1014]] # Note: # The length of board will be in the range [3, 50]. # The length of board[i] will be in the range [3, 50]. # Each board[i][j] will initially start as an integer in the range [1, 2000]. class Solution(object): def candyCrush(self, board): """ :type board: List[List[int]] :rtype: List[List[int]] """ R, C = len(board), len(board[0]) changed = True while changed: changed = False for r in xrange(R): for c in xrange(C-2): if abs(board[r][c]) == abs(board[r][c+1]) == abs(board[r][c+2]) != 0: board[r][c] = board[r][c+1] = board[r][c+2] = -abs(board[r][c]) changed = True for r in xrange(R-2): for c in xrange(C): if abs(board[r][c]) == abs(board[r+1][c]) == abs(board[r+2][c]) != 0: board[r][c] = board[r+1][c] = board[r+2][c] = -abs(board[r][c]) changed = True for c in xrange(C): i = R-1 for r in reversed(xrange(R)): if board[r][c] > 0: board[i][c] = board[r][c] i -= 1 for r in reversed(xrange(i+1)): board[r][c] = 0 return board