1404. Number of Steps to Reduce a Number in Binary Representation to One | Leetcode POTD 29 May 2024

The LeetCode problem 1404, titled "Number of Steps to Reduce a Number in Binary Representation to One," is classified as a medium-level challenge focused on bit manipulation. This problem was featured as the problem of the day on May 29, 2024. To solve this problem, we need to carefully analyze and manipulate the bits of a given binary number.
If we closely examine the problem, we notice that the primary goal is to convert all bits from the first index to the last index to 0, while the 0th bit will always remain 1, as specified in the problem constraints. This invariant simplifies our task because we don't need to worry about changing the 0th bit until the very end.
During the process of setting all bits except the 0th bit to 0, we may encounter situations where adding operations result in a carry. This carry can propagate through the bits and potentially affect the 0th bit. If the carry reaches the 0th bit, it transforms the bit pattern into "10" in binary, which is equivalent to 2 in decimal. When this happens, we must perform an additional division operation to convert "10" back to "1." This additional division step effectively counts as one more operation.
Therefore, our solution strategy involves two main steps:
1. Carefully considering the operations required to set all bits except the 0th bit to 0.
2. Handling any carry that might affect the 0th bit and performing an additional division if necessary.
By breaking down the problem this way, we ensure that we account for all necessary operations, simplifying the task and making it more manageable. Ultimately, our approach will involve a sequence of steps that either directly set bits to 0 or adjust for any carry-over effects that necessitate an extra division operation, ensuring we efficiently reduce the binary number to 1.
Link to the problem : leetcode.com/p...
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[@clickit1507]

love your voice and great explanation

[@clashtm8210]

god tier explanation

[@DHANUSHB-cr9sq]

Sister, could you explain the intuition in english please, i am from chennai it is little bit hard to understand for me.

[@algorithmsbyaditi]

I switched to Hindi after incorporating suggestions. I will try doing it in both English and Hindi as soon I am a bit less occupied.

[@blah6108]

Are you a binary string? Because you're the only sequence that makes my heart flip from 0 to 1, and I think we've got a love code that's meant to be executed.👾

[@onsach]

TLE - Step count infinity 😂