LeetCode #1137 — EASY

N-th Tribonacci Number

Build confidence with an intuition-first walkthrough focused on math fundamentals.

Solve on LeetCode

The Problem

Problem Statement

The Tribonacci sequence T_n is defined as follows:

T₀ = 0, T₁ = 1, T₂ = 1, and T_n+3 = T_n + T_n+1 + T_n+2 for n >= 0.

Given n, return the value of T_n.

Example 1:

Input: n = 4
Output: 4
Explanation:
T_3 = 0 + 1 + 1 = 2
T_4 = 1 + 1 + 2 = 4

Example 2:

Input: n = 25
Output: 1389537

Constraints:

0 <= n <= 37
The answer is guaranteed to fit within a 32-bit integer, ie. answer <= 2^31 - 1.

Step 01

Brute Force Baseline

Problem summary: The Tribonacci sequence Tn is defined as follows: T0 = 0, T1 = 1, T2 = 1, and Tn+3 = Tn + Tn+1 + Tn+2 for n >= 0. Given n, return the value of Tn.

Baseline thinking

Start with the most direct exhaustive search. That gives a correctness anchor before optimizing.

Pattern signal: Math · Dynamic Programming

Example 1

Example 2

Core Insight

What unlocks the optimal approach

Make an array F of length 38, and set F[0] = 0, F[1] = F[2] = 1.
Now write a loop where you set F[n+3] = F[n] + F[n+1] + F[n+2], and return F[n].

Interview move: turn each hint into an invariant you can check after every iteration/recursion step.

Step 03

Algorithm Walkthrough

Iteration Checklist

Define state (indices, window, stack, map, DP cell, or recursion frame).
Apply one transition step and update the invariant.
Record answer candidate when condition is met.
Continue until all input is consumed.

Use the first example testcase as your mental trace to verify each transition.

Step 04

Edge Cases

Minimum Input

Single element / shortest valid input

Validate boundary behavior before entering the main loop or recursion.

Duplicates & Repeats

Repeated values / repeated states

Decide whether duplicates should be merged, skipped, or counted explicitly.

Extreme Constraints

Upper-end input sizes

Re-check complexity target against constraints to avoid time-limit issues.

Invalid / Corner Shape

Empty collections, zeros, or disconnected structures

Handle special-case structure before the core algorithm path.

Step 05

Full Annotated Code

Source-backed implementations are provided below for direct study and interview prep.

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1137: N-th Tribonacci Number
class Solution {
    public int tribonacci(int n) {
        int a = 0, b = 1, c = 1;
        while (n-- > 0) {
            int d = a + b + c;
            a = b;
            b = c;
            c = d;
        }
        return a;
    }
}

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1137: N-th Tribonacci Number
func tribonacci(n int) int {
	a, b, c := 0, 1, 1
	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
		a, b, c = b, c, a+b+c
	}
	return a
}

# Accepted solution for LeetCode #1137: N-th Tribonacci Number
class Solution:
    def tribonacci(self, n: int) -> int:
        a, b, c = 0, 1, 1
        for _ in range(n):
            a, b, c = b, c, a + b + c
        return a

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1137: N-th Tribonacci Number
impl Solution {
    pub fn tribonacci(n: i32) -> i32 {
        let mut t = [0, 1, 1];

        if n <= 2 {
            return t[n as usize];
        }

        for i in 3..(n + 1) as usize {
            t.swap(0, 1);
            t.swap(1, 2);
            t[2] = t.iter().sum();
        }

        t[2]
    }
}

// Accepted solution for LeetCode #1137: N-th Tribonacci Number
function tribonacci(n: number): number {
    let [a, b, c] = [0, 1, 1];
    while (n--) {
        let d = a + b + c;
        a = b;
        b = c;
        c = d;
    }
    return a;
}

Step 06

Interactive Study Demo

Use this to step through a reusable interview workflow for this problem.

Custom checkpoints (one per line)

Press Step or Run All to begin.

Step 07

Complexity Analysis

Time

O(n)

Space

O(1)

Approach Breakdown

RECURSIVE

O(2ⁿ) time

O(n) space

Pure recursion explores every possible choice at each step. With two choices per state (take or skip), the decision tree has 2ⁿ leaves. The recursion stack uses O(n) space. Many subproblems are recomputed exponentially many times.

DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING

O(n × m) time

O(n × m) space

Each cell in the DP table is computed exactly once from previously solved subproblems. The table dimensions determine both time and space. Look for the state variables — each unique combination of state values is one cell. Often a rolling array can reduce space by one dimension.

Shortcut: Count your DP state dimensions → that’s your time. Can you drop one? That’s your space optimization.

Coach Notes

Common Mistakes

Review these before coding to avoid predictable interview regressions.

Overflow in intermediate arithmetic

Wrong move: Temporary multiplications exceed integer bounds.

Usually fails on: Large inputs wrap around unexpectedly.

Fix: Use wider types, modular arithmetic, or rearranged operations.

State misses one required dimension

Wrong move: An incomplete state merges distinct subproblems and caches incorrect answers.

Usually fails on: Correctness breaks on cases that differ only in hidden state.

Fix: Define state so each unique subproblem maps to one DP cell.