I'm having some confusion with two different versions of my code for the Remove Element problem that I was working on. I tried running both versions in my terminal for fun, and I noticed that they produce different results for the variable `current`. For example, when the input is `n = 4, k = 3, a = [3,2,2,3]`, Code 1 gives me `current = 2` and `a = [2,2]`, while Code 2 gives `current = 3` and `a = [2,2,0]`. In the first code, I set `current` to -1 before the loop, whereas in the second code, I initialize `current` to 0. I'm confused about why these two codes behave differently despite having similar logic, especially since Code 2 works correctly on LeetCode. Can anyone help me understand what's going on?
2 Answers
One thing to note is that your output from Code 1 seems to be incorrect based on what you've shared. When I ran similar test cases, I saw that it doesn’t output the values as you're expecting them to be. You should verify that you're using the correct input values when testing your code. Perhaps check if you might be accidentally using outdated or incorrect input data.
It looks like you've already spotted a key difference! The starting value for `current` is the main culprit here. In Code 1, you start `current` at -1, meaning the first increment makes it 0, while in Code 2, it starts at 0 and increments it directly. This can lead to different behaviors when assigning values in the array. Just a small tweak in initialization can lead to different results. So double-check how you're managing this initial value!
Exactly! You might also want to look closely at how you're managing your array elements after the loop finishes. The logic can change subtly depending on how you set `current`.
Oh, that might explain the discrepancy! I think I was using an improperly saved input file when I ran the tests. Thanks for pointing that out!