Distinct Subsequences
To solve this coding challenge of finding the number of distinct subsequences of one string \( s \) that equal another string \( t \), we will employ dynamic programming. This approach helps in breaking down the problem into simpler subproblems and building up the solution step-by-step.
# Explanation
Problem Breakdown
The problem asks us to count the number of ways to derive string \( t \) from \( s \) by deleting some or no characters without changing the order of the remaining characters.Key Points:
- A subsequence is derived by deleting some or no characters from a string without changing the order of the remaining characters.
- We need to find distinct subsequences in \( s \) that are equal to \( t \).
- Initialization : We will utilize a 2D array \( dp \) where \( dp[i][j] \) represents the number of ways to form the first \( i \) characters of \( t \) from the first \( j \) characters of \( s \).
- Base Case : When \( t \) is an empty string, there is one way to match it with any prefix of \( s \) by deleting all characters of \( s \). Hence, \( dp[0][j] = 1 \) for all \( 0 \leq j \leq \text{len}(s) \).
- Filling the Table :
- If the characters of \( t \) and \( s \) match (i.e., \( t[i-1] == s[j-1] \)), then either we consider this match or we donβt.
- If they donβt match, then we simply carry forward the number of ways to form \( t \) without the current character of \( s \):
- Create and initialize the DP table :
- Fill the DP table using nested loops :
- Return the result :
Dynamic Programming Approach:
-
\[
dp[i][j] = dp[i-1][j-1] + dp[i][j-1]
\]
-
\[
dp[i][j] = dp[i][j-1]
\]
Final Result:
The result will be stored in \( dp[\text{len}(t)][\text{len}(s)] \), representing the number of ways to form the entire string \( t \) using all characters of \( s \).Step-by-Step Explanation of Pseudocode
Initialize dp table with dimensions (len(t) + 1) x (len(s) + 1) to all zeros
# Base Case: An empty t can be matched with any prefix of s by deleting all characters of s
For j from 0 to len(s):
dp[0][j] = 1
For i from 1 to len(t):
For j from 1 to len(s):
If t[i-1] == s[j-1]: # Characters match
dp[i][j] = dp[i-1][j-1] + dp[i][j-1]
Else: # Characters don't match
dp[i][j] = dp[i][j-1]
Return dp[len(t)][len(s)]
Detailed Steps in Pseudocode
Initialize the DP Table
# Create a 2D list with (len(t) + 1) rows and (len(s) + 1) columns initialized with zeros
dp = [[0 for _ in range(len(s) + 1)] for _ in range(len(t) + 1)]
# Initialize the base case where the first row is filled with 1s
For j from 0 to len(s):
dp[0][j] = 1 # There's exactly one way to match an empty substring t with any s's prefix by deleting all characters
Fill the DP Table
# Iterate over each character in t
For i from 1 to len(t):
# Iterate over each character in s
For j from 1 to len(s):
If t[i-1] == s[j-1]:
# Sum of ways: considering the current character match + not considering the current match
dp[i][j] = dp[i-1][j-1] + dp[i][j-1]
Else:
# Carry forward the previous count without considering the current character of s
dp[i][j] = dp[i][j-1]
Retrieve the Final Result
# The number of distinct subsequences that match t from s is found in the last cell
Return dp[len(t)][len(s)]
By following this detailed methodology, you can efficiently solve the problem of counting distinct subsequences using a dynamic programming approach.