LeetCode #1850 — MEDIUM

Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number

Move from brute-force thinking to an efficient approach using two pointers strategy.

Solve on LeetCode
The Problem

Problem Statement

You are given a string num, representing a large integer, and an integer k.

We call some integer wonderful if it is a permutation of the digits in num and is greater in value than num. There can be many wonderful integers. However, we only care about the smallest-valued ones.

  • For example, when num = "5489355142":
    • The 1st smallest wonderful integer is "5489355214".
    • The 2nd smallest wonderful integer is "5489355241".
    • The 3rd smallest wonderful integer is "5489355412".
    • The 4th smallest wonderful integer is "5489355421".

Return the minimum number of adjacent digit swaps that needs to be applied to num to reach the kth smallest wonderful integer.

The tests are generated in such a way that kth smallest wonderful integer exists.

Example 1:

Input: num = "5489355142", k = 4
Output: 2
Explanation: The 4th smallest wonderful number is "5489355421". To get this number:
- Swap index 7 with index 8: "5489355142" -> "5489355412"
- Swap index 8 with index 9: "5489355412" -> "5489355421"

Example 2:

Input: num = "11112", k = 4
Output: 4
Explanation: The 4th smallest wonderful number is "21111". To get this number:
- Swap index 3 with index 4: "11112" -> "11121"
- Swap index 2 with index 3: "11121" -> "11211"
- Swap index 1 with index 2: "11211" -> "12111"
- Swap index 0 with index 1: "12111" -> "21111"

Example 3:

Input: num = "00123", k = 1
Output: 1
Explanation: The 1st smallest wonderful number is "00132". To get this number:
- Swap index 3 with index 4: "00123" -> "00132"

Constraints:

  • 2 <= num.length <= 1000
  • 1 <= k <= 1000
  • num only consists of digits.
Patterns Used

Roadmap

  1. Brute Force Baseline
  2. Core Insight
  3. Algorithm Walkthrough
  4. Edge Cases
  5. Full Annotated Code
  6. Interactive Study Demo
  7. Complexity Analysis
Step 01

Brute Force Baseline

Problem summary: You are given a string num, representing a large integer, and an integer k. We call some integer wonderful if it is a permutation of the digits in num and is greater in value than num. There can be many wonderful integers. However, we only care about the smallest-valued ones. For example, when num = "5489355142": The 1st smallest wonderful integer is "5489355214". The 2nd smallest wonderful integer is "5489355241". The 3rd smallest wonderful integer is "5489355412". The 4th smallest wonderful integer is "5489355421". Return the minimum number of adjacent digit swaps that needs to be applied to num to reach the kth smallest wonderful integer. The tests are generated in such a way that kth smallest wonderful integer exists.

Baseline thinking

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

Pattern signal: Two Pointers · Greedy

Example 1

"5489355142"
4

Example 2

"11112"
4

Example 3

"00123"
1

Related Problems

  • Next Permutation (next-permutation)
Step 02

Core Insight

What unlocks the optimal approach

  • Find the next permutation of the given string k times.
  • Try to move each element to its correct position and calculate the number of steps.
Interview move: turn each hint into an invariant you can check after every iteration/recursion step.
Step 03

Algorithm Walkthrough

Iteration Checklist

  1. Define state (indices, window, stack, map, DP cell, or recursion frame).
  2. Apply one transition step and update the invariant.
  3. Record answer candidate when condition is met.
  4. 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 #1850: Minimum Adjacent Swaps to Reach the Kth Smallest Number
class Solution {
    public int getMinSwaps(String num, int k) {
        char[] s = num.toCharArray();
        for (int i = 0; i < k; ++i) {
            nextPermutation(s);
        }
        List<Integer>[] d = new List[10];
        Arrays.setAll(d, i -> new ArrayList<>());
        int n = s.length;
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
            d[num.charAt(i) - '0'].add(i);
        }
        int[] idx = new int[10];
        int[] arr = new int[n];
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
            arr[i] = d[s[i] - '0'].get(idx[s[i] - '0']++);
        }
        int ans = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
            for (int j = 0; j < i; ++j) {
                if (arr[j] > arr[i]) {
                    ++ans;
                }
            }
        }
        return ans;
    }

    private boolean nextPermutation(char[] nums) {
        int n = nums.length;
        int i = n - 2;
        while (i >= 0 && nums[i] >= nums[i + 1]) {
            --i;
        }
        if (i < 0) {
            return false;
        }
        int j = n - 1;
        while (j >= 0 && nums[i] >= nums[j]) {
            --j;
        }
        swap(nums, i++, j);
        for (j = n - 1; i < j; ++i, --j) {
            swap(nums, i, j);
        }
        return true;
    }

    private void swap(char[] nums, int i, int j) {
        char t = nums[i];
        nums[i] = nums[j];
        nums[j] = t;
    }
}
Step 06

Interactive Study Demo

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

Press Step or Run All to begin.
Step 07

Complexity Analysis

Time
O(n × (k + n)
Space
O(n)

Approach Breakdown

BRUTE FORCE
O(n²) time
O(1) space

Two nested loops check every pair of elements. The outer loop picks one element, the inner loop scans the rest. For n elements that is n × (n−1)/2 comparisons = O(n²). No extra memory — just two loop variables.

TWO POINTERS
O(n) time
O(1) space

Each pointer traverses the array at most once. With two pointers moving inward (or both moving right), the total number of steps is bounded by n. Each comparison is O(1), giving O(n) overall. No auxiliary data structures are needed — just two index variables.

Shortcut: Two converging pointers on sorted data → O(n) time, O(1) space.
Coach Notes

Common Mistakes

Review these before coding to avoid predictable interview regressions.

Moving both pointers on every comparison

Wrong move: Advancing both pointers shrinks the search space too aggressively and skips candidates.

Usually fails on: A valid pair can be skipped when only one side should move.

Fix: Move exactly one pointer per decision branch based on invariant.

Using greedy without proof

Wrong move: Locally optimal choices may fail globally.

Usually fails on: Counterexamples appear on crafted input orderings.

Fix: Verify with exchange argument or monotonic objective before committing.