#1750
Minimum Length of String After Deleting Similar Ends
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Description
Given a string s consisting only of characters 'a', 'b', and 'c'. You are asked to apply the following algorithm on the string any number of times:
- Pick a non-empty prefix from the string s where all the characters in the prefix are equal.
- Pick a non-empty suffix from the string s where all the characters in this suffix are equal.
- The prefix and the suffix should not intersect at any index.
- The characters from the prefix and suffix must be the same.
- Delete both the prefix and the suffix.
Return the minimum length of s after performing the above operation any number of times (possibly zero times).
Example 1:
Input: s = "ca"
Output: 2
Explanation: You can't remove any characters, so the string stays as is.
Example 2:
Input: s = "cabaabac"
Output: 0
Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
- Take prefix = "c" and suffix = "c" and remove them, s = "abaaba".
- Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "baab".
- Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "b" and remove them, s = "aa".
- Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "".
Example 3:
Input: s = "aabccabba"
Output: 3
Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
- Take prefix = "aa" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "bccabb".
- Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "bb" and remove them, s = "cca".
Solution