# 15. 3Sum
Given an array nums of n integers, are there elements a, b, c in nums such that a + b + c = 0? Find all unique triplets in the array which gives the sum of zero.
Note:
The solution set must not contain duplicate triplets.
Example:
Given array nums = [-1, 0, 1, 2, -1, -4],
A solution set is:
[
[-1, 0, 1],
[-1, -1, 2]
]
# Solution
Approach 1: Sorting and then for each number, do 2-sum for the rest of numbers. (Deduplication is tricky.)
Approach 2: use a hashtable to record numbers/pairs seen, deduplicate using a set.
# Code (Python)
Approach 1:
def threeSum(self, nums: List[int]) -> List[List[int]]:
nums.sort()
result = []
# fixing the highest index wouldn't work for cases like [-2,0,1,1,2] since 1 == 1 and got skipped, it'll miss the solution (-1,1,1)
[-2,-2,0,1,1,2]
for low in range(len(nums) - 2):
if low > 0 and nums[low] == nums[low-1]:
continue
l, r = low + 1, len(nums) - 1
while l < r:
if nums[low] + nums[l] + nums[r] < 0:
l += 1
elif nums[low] + nums[l] + nums[r] > 0:
r -= 1
else:
result.append((nums[low], nums[l], nums[r]))
l += 1
# note l < r to prevent index out of bound
while l < r and nums[l] == nums[l-1]:
l += 1
r -= 1
while l < r and nums[r] == nums[r+1]:
r -= 1
return result
Approach 2 (Time Limit Exceeded):
def threeSum(self, nums: List[int]) -> List[List[int]]:
table = defaultdict(list)
result = set()
for i in range(len(nums)):
for j in range(i + 1, len(nums)):
table[nums[i] + nums[j]].append((i, j))
for k in range(len(nums)):
for pair in table[-nums[k]]:
if k != pair[0] and k != pair[1]:
result.add(tuple(sorted([nums[k], nums[pair[0]], nums[pair[1]]])))
return list(result)
# Code (C++)
Approach 1:
class Solution {
private:
/*
// Hash table.
vector<vector<int>> twoSum(vector<int>& nums, int head, int tail, int target) {
vector<vector<int>> res;
unordered_set<int> visited;
for (int i = head; i <= tail; ++i)
{
if (i >= head + 2 && nums[i] == nums[i-1] && nums[i-1] == nums[i-2]) // e.g., [-2,0,1,1,2].
continue;
int tmp = target - nums[i];
if (visited.find(tmp) != visited.end())
{
vector<int> pair = vector<int>();
pair.push_back(nums[i]);
pair.push_back(tmp);
res.push_back(pair);
visited.erase(tmp); // e.g., [-2,0,0,2,2].
}
else
visited.insert(nums[i]);
}
return res;
}
*/
// Two pointers.
vector<vector<int>> twoSum(vector<int>& nums, int head, int tail, int target) {
vector<vector<int>> res;
int i = head;
int j = tail;
while (i < j)
{
if (i > head && nums[i] == nums[i-1])
i++;
else if (j < nums.size() - 1 && nums[j] == nums[j+1])
j--;
else
{
int sum = nums[i] + nums[j];
if (sum < target)
i++;
else if (sum > target)
j--;
else
{
vector<int> pair = vector<int>();
pair.push_back(nums[i]);
pair.push_back(nums[j]);
res.push_back(pair);
i++;
j--;
}
}
}
return res;
}
public:
vector<vector<int>> threeSum(vector<int>& nums) {
vector<vector<int>> res;
std::sort(nums.begin(), nums.end());
for (int i = 0; i < nums.size(); ++i)
{
if (i > 0 && nums[i] == nums[i-1])
continue;
vector<vector<int>> pairs =
twoSum(nums, i + 1, nums.size() - 1, 0 - nums[i]);
for (auto it = pairs.begin(); it != pairs.end(); ++it)
{
it->push_back(nums[i]);
res.push_back(*it);
}
}
return res;
}
};