Final Remarks

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the “Two Pointers & Co.” module.

Summary#

In this module, we learned how to solve problems with linear input data. We practiced the use of three related coding patterns: Two Pointers, Fast and Slow Pointers, and Modified Binary Search. In problems where we needed to traverse a sorted array, we found that we could significantly improve the efficiency of our solutions by using an additional index in the array. In certain problems requiring manipulation of a linked list, having a second pointer at some distance from the leading pointer enabled us to design simple, efficient solutions. The Fast and Slow Pointers pattern may be considered a variant of the Two Pointers pattern, where the two pointers move at different speeds in order to traverse the input list in a way that solves the given problem. Sharing similarities with the way the Two Pointers pattern is applied to arrays, the Modified Binary Search pattern reduces the size of the search space to reach its target in the least possible time. Therefore, we gained further hands-on experience with the divide-and-conquer approach to problem-solving.

What's Next#

Now that we have gained hands-on experience with efficient search and traversal techniques, we will cover problem-solving using linked lists, stacks, and matrices in the next module, “Basic Data Structures.”