LeetCode #2116 — MEDIUM

Check if a Parentheses String Can Be Valid

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

Solve on LeetCode
The Problem

Problem Statement

A parentheses string is a non-empty string consisting only of '(' and ')'. It is valid if any of the following conditions is true:

  • It is ().
  • It can be written as AB (A concatenated with B), where A and B are valid parentheses strings.
  • It can be written as (A), where A is a valid parentheses string.

You are given a parentheses string s and a string locked, both of length n. locked is a binary string consisting only of '0's and '1's. For each index i of locked,

  • If locked[i] is '1', you cannot change s[i].
  • But if locked[i] is '0', you can change s[i] to either '(' or ')'.

Return true if you can make s a valid parentheses string. Otherwise, return false.

Example 1:

Input: s = "))()))", locked = "010100"
Output: true
Explanation: locked[1] == '1' and locked[3] == '1', so we cannot change s[1] or s[3].
We change s[0] and s[4] to '(' while leaving s[2] and s[5] unchanged to make s valid.

Example 2:

Input: s = "()()", locked = "0000"
Output: true
Explanation: We do not need to make any changes because s is already valid.

Example 3:

Input: s = ")", locked = "0"
Output: false
Explanation: locked permits us to change s[0]. 
Changing s[0] to either '(' or ')' will not make s valid.

Example 4:

Input: s = "(((())(((())", locked = "111111010111"
Output: true
Explanation: locked permits us to change s[6] and s[8]. 
We change s[6] and s[8] to ')' to make s valid.

Constraints:

  • n == s.length == locked.length
  • 1 <= n <= 105
  • s[i] is either '(' or ')'.
  • locked[i] is either '0' or '1'.
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: A parentheses string is a non-empty string consisting only of '(' and ')'. It is valid if any of the following conditions is true: It is (). It can be written as AB (A concatenated with B), where A and B are valid parentheses strings. It can be written as (A), where A is a valid parentheses string. You are given a parentheses string s and a string locked, both of length n. locked is a binary string consisting only of '0's and '1's. For each index i of locked, If locked[i] is '1', you cannot change s[i]. But if locked[i] is '0', you can change s[i] to either '(' or ')'. Return true if you can make s a valid parentheses string. Otherwise, return false.

Baseline thinking

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

Pattern signal: Stack · Greedy

Example 1

"))()))"
"010100"

Example 2

"()()"
"0000"

Example 3

")"
"0"

Related Problems

  • Valid Parentheses (valid-parentheses)
  • Generate Parentheses (generate-parentheses)
  • Valid Parenthesis String (valid-parenthesis-string)
  • Minimum Remove to Make Valid Parentheses (minimum-remove-to-make-valid-parentheses)
  • Check if There Is a Valid Parentheses String Path (check-if-there-is-a-valid-parentheses-string-path)
Step 02

Core Insight

What unlocks the optimal approach

  • Can an odd length string ever be valid?
  • From left to right, if a locked ')' is encountered, it must be balanced with either a locked '(' or an unlocked index on its left. If neither exist, what conclusion can be drawn? If both exist, which one is more preferable to use?
  • After the above, we may have locked indices of '(' and additional unlocked indices. How can you balance out the locked '(' now? What if you cannot balance any locked '('?
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 #2116: Check if a Parentheses String Can Be Valid
class Solution {
    public boolean canBeValid(String s, String locked) {
        int n = s.length();
        if (n % 2 == 1) {
            return false;
        }
        int x = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
            if (s.charAt(i) == '(' || locked.charAt(i) == '0') {
                ++x;
            } else if (x > 0) {
                --x;
            } else {
                return false;
            }
        }
        x = 0;
        for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
            if (s.charAt(i) == ')' || locked.charAt(i) == '0') {
                ++x;
            } else if (x > 0) {
                --x;
            } else {
                return false;
            }
        }
        return true;
    }
}
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)
Space
O(n)

Approach Breakdown

BRUTE FORCE
O(n²) time
O(1) space

For each element, scan left (or right) to find the next greater/smaller element. The inner scan can visit up to n elements per outer iteration, giving O(n²) total comparisons. No extra space needed beyond loop variables.

MONOTONIC STACK
O(n) time
O(n) space

Each element is pushed onto the stack at most once and popped at most once, giving 2n total operations = O(n). The stack itself holds at most n elements in the worst case. The key insight: amortized O(1) per element despite the inner while-loop.

Shortcut: Each element pushed once + popped once → O(n) amortized. The inner while-loop does not make it O(n²).
Coach Notes

Common Mistakes

Review these before coding to avoid predictable interview regressions.

Breaking monotonic invariant

Wrong move: Pushing without popping stale elements invalidates next-greater/next-smaller logic.

Usually fails on: Indices point to blocked elements and outputs shift.

Fix: Pop while invariant is violated before pushing current element.

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.