https://github.com/vinyl-davyl/algo-syncamore

https://github.com/vinyl-davyl/algo-syncamore

Last synced: 5 months ago
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• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/vinyl-davyl/algo-syncamore
• Owner: Vinyl-Davyl
• Created: 2025-01-18T05:45:58.000Z (5 months ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-01-18T05:54:36.000Z (5 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-01-18T06:26:36.818Z (5 months ago)
• Language: JavaScript
• Size: 0 Bytes
• Stars: 0
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

        
### Breakdown of Solution

Finding the longest zigzag path in a binary tree. A zigzag path alternates between left and right child nodes as we traverse the tree.

### **Approach**

1. **Recursive Traversal**:

   - Used a helper function to traverse the binary tree recursively.

   - At each node, tracked:

     - The direction we came from (left or right).

     - The current length of the zigzag path.

2. **Key Logic**:

   - If the previous direction was **left**, the next step in the zigzag must go **right** (and vice versa).

   - If the direction alternates, we increment the zigzag path length.

   - If the direction doesn't alternate, we reset the zigzag path length to `0`.

3. **Base Case**:

   - If the current node is `null`, stop the traversal.

4. **Tracking the Longest Path**:

   - Updated a global variable `maxZigzag` to store the longest zigzag path length encountered during the traversal.

5. **Starting Point**:

   - At the root node, we considered both possible directions (left and right) and begin the traversal.

### **Why This Works**

- The recursive function ensures that every possible zigzag path is explored.

- The `maxZigzag` variable tracks the longest zigzag path efficiently across all recursive calls.

### **Efficiency**

- Time Complexity: **O(N)**, where N is the number of nodes in the tree, as we visit each node once.

- Space Complexity: **O(H)**, where H is the height of the tree, due to the recursion stack.

### **Result**

Identified the longest zigzag path as `2`.