Is Long Pressed Name easy or hard?

LeetCode classifies Long Pressed Name as an Easy problem. The main challenge is correctly handling repeated characters in the typed string while ensuring no required characters from the name are skipped.

Long Pressed Name Python/Java solution

In Python or Java, implement the two-pointer scan across the name and typed strings. Compare characters, allow repeated characters in typed, and ensure the order is preserved. The logic is identical across languages and runs in O(n) time with constant space.

How to solve Long Pressed Name in O(n)?

Traverse the typed string with a pointer while comparing it with the name pointer. When characters match, advance both pointers. If the typed character equals the previous typed character, treat it as a long press and advance only the typed pointer. Any other mismatch means the typed string is invalid.

What is the best approach for Long Pressed Name?

The best approach is the Two Pointers technique. Use one pointer for the original name and another for the typed string. Move both pointers when characters match, and allow the typed pointer to move alone when it repeats the previous character. This runs in O(n) time and O(1) space.

Is Long Pressed Name asked at Google/Amazon/Meta?

This problem has appeared in interview preparation sets for companies like Google and Amazon because it tests string traversal and pointer control. While not extremely difficult, it checks whether you can reason about sequential constraints and repeated characters efficiently.

What data structure is used in Long Pressed Name?

The problem primarily uses string traversal with the Two Pointers technique. No advanced data structures are required. Some alternative explanations use counters to track consecutive character frequencies.

What is the time complexity of Long Pressed Name?

The optimal solution runs in O(n) time where n is the length of the typed string. Each character is processed at most once using two pointers. Space complexity is O(1) because only index variables and simple counters are used.

Description Solution Video 17:40

925. Long Pressed Name

Easy32.8% acceptance7 companies

Your friend is typing his name into a keyboard. Sometimes, when typing a character c, the key might get long pressed, and the character will be typed 1 or more times.

You examine the typed characters of the keyboard. Return True if it is possible that it was your friends name, with some characters (possibly none) being long pressed.

Example 1:

Input: name = "alex", typed = "aaleex"
Output: true
Explanation: 'a' and 'e' in 'alex' were long pressed.

Example 2:

Input: name = "saeed", typed = "ssaaedd"
Output: false
Explanation: 'e' must have been pressed twice, but it was not in the typed output.

Constraints:

1 <= name.length, typed.length <= 1000
name and typed consist of only lowercase English letters.

Asked at 7 companies

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String Two Pointers

17:40

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925. Long Pressed Name

Asked at 7 companies

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