Help in understanding and solving a problem.

[oliver69]

I got this problem in my test, and couldn't understand the problem. Please help me out in understanding it. The sample test case given, I tried to trace it out but am still not sure how it's done.

 

[phillip1882]

your right an output of 13 makes no sense.
i1. switch the middle bulb
2. swith the right bulb
3. switch the left bulb
4. switch the rightbulb
5 swith the middle bulb
6 switch the right bulb
your done

 

[phillip1882]

iin general i think it will be 2*(the number of times it switches from 0,1 or vice versa +1)

 

[phillip1882]

Oh shoot I missed that extra 1. Its not 101, it 1011

 

[phillip1882]

so yeah
1. switch the right most bulb
2. switch the second bulb
3. switch the right most bulb
4. switch the third bulb
5. switch the right most bulb
6. switch the first bulb
7. switch the right most bulb
8 switch the third bulb
9. switch the right most bulb
10 switch the second bulb.
11.sitch the right most bulb
12. switch the third bulb
13. switch the right most bulb.
your done.

 

[phillip1882]

import sys
def bulb(lights,i,steps):
   print(lights)
   if i == len(lights):
      i = 0
      while lights[i] =="0":
         i += 1
         if i == len(lights):
            print(steps)
            input()
            sys.exit(0)
   if i == len(lights)-2:
      if lights[i+1] == "1":
         if lights[i] == "0":
            lights = lights[:i]+"1"+lights[i+1:]
         else:
            lights = lights[:i]+"0"+lights[i+1:]
         steps += 1
         i += 1
         bulb(lights,i,steps)
 
   elif i < len(lights)-2 and lights[i+1] == "1" and "1" not in lights[i+2:]:
      if lights[i] == "0":
         lights = lights[:i]+"1"+lights[i+1:]
      else:
         lights = lights[:i]+"0"+lights[i+1:]
      i+= 1
      steps += 1    
      bulb(lights,i,steps)
   if steps %2 == 0:
      if lights[-1] == "0":
         lights = lights[:-1]+"1"
      else:
         lights = lights[:-1]+"0"
      steps += 1
      bulb(lights,i,steps)
   else:
      i += 1
      bulb(lights,i,steps)


 
bulb("10110",0,0))

 

[phillip1882]

here's my linear version

i = 0
steps = 0
light = input("code? ")
check = True
while check:
   print(light)
   if i >= len(light):
      i = 0
      while light[i] =="0":
         i += 1
         if i == len(light):
            check = False
            print(steps)
            break
   if steps%2 == 0:
      if light[-1] == "0":
         light = light[:-1] +"1"
      else:
         light = light[:-1] +"0"
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   elif i == len(light)-2:
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i+= 1
      steps += 1
   elif i < len(light)-2 and light[i+1] =="1" and "1" not in light[i+2:]:
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   else:
      i+=1

 

[phillip1882]

corrected an error:

i = 0
steps = 0
light = "100101111100"
check = True
while check:
   print(light)
   if i >= len(light):
      i = 0
      while light[i] =="0":
         i += 1
         if i == len(light):
            check = False
            print(steps)
            break
   if i == len(light)-2 and light[-1] == "1":
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i+= 1
      steps += 1
   elif i < len(light)-2 and light[i+1] =="1" and "1" not in light[i+2:]:
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   elif len(light)-1 == i:
      if light[-1] == "0":
         light = light[:-1] +"1"
      else:
         light = light[:-1] +"0"
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   else:
      i+=1

 

[phillip1882]

my recursive version needs serious work. it can't handle 7 or more inputs without going into recursion depth problems.

 

[phillip1882]

i = 0
steps = 0
light = "101110"
id = -2
while light[id] =="1":
   id -= 1
if id%2 == 0:
   if light[-1] =="0":
      steps += 1
   light = light[:-1]+"1"
else:
   if light[-1] == "1":
      steps+= 1
   light = light[:-1] +"0"
check = True
while check:
   print(light)
   if i >= len(light):
      i = 0
      while light[i] =="0":
         i += 1
         if i == len(light):
            check = False
            print(steps)
            break
   if i == len(light)-2 and light[-1] == "1":
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i+= 1
      steps += 1
   elif i < len(light)-2 and light[i+1] =="1" and "1" not in light[i+2:]:
      if light[i] == "0":
         light = light[:i] +"1"+light[i+1:]
      else:
         light = light[:i] +"0"+light[i+1:]
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   elif len(light)-1 == i:
      if light[-1] == "0":
         light = light[:-1] +"1"
      else:
         light = light[:-1] +"0"
      i += 1
      steps += 1
   else:
      i+=1

 

[phillip1882]

further corrections