Game of replacing array elements

Difficulty Level : Easy
Last Updated : 08 Jun, 2021

There are two players A and B who are interested in playing a game of numbers. In each move a player pick two distinct number, let’s say a1 and a2 and then replace all a2 by a1 or a1 by a2. They stop playing game if any one of them is unable to pick two number and the player who is unable to pick two distinct number in an array, looses the game. First player always move first and then second. Task is to find which player wins.
Examples:

Input :  arr[] = { 1, 3, 3, 2,, 2, 1 }
Output : Player 2 wins
Explanation:
First plays always looses irrespective
of the numbers chosen by him. For example,
say first player picks ( 1 & 3) 
replace all 3 by 1  
Now array Become { 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1 }
Then second player picks ( 1  2 )
either he replace 1 by 2 or 2 by 1 
Array Become { 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 }
Now first player is not able to choose.

Input  : arr[] = { 1, 2, 1, 2 }
Output : Player 1 wins

From above examples, we can observe that if number of count of distinct element is even, first player always wins. Else second player wins.
Lets take an another example :

  int arr[] =  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Here number of distinct element is even(n). If player 1 pick any two number lets say (4, 1), then we left with n-1 distinct element. So player second left with n-1 distinct element. This precess go on until distinct element become 1. Here n = 6

Player   :  P1    p2    P1   p2    P1     P2    
distinct : [n, n-1, n-2, n-3, n-4, n-5 ]  
 
"At this point no distinct element left, 
so p2 is unable to pick two Dis element."

Below implementation of above idea :

C++

// CPP program for Game of Replacement
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function return which player win the game
int playGame(int arr[], int n)
{
    // Create hash that will stores
    // all distinct element
    unordered_set<int> hash;
 
    // Traverse an array element
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        hash.insert(arr[i]);
 
    return (hash.size() % 2 == 0 ? 1 : 2);
}
 
// Driver Function
int main()
{
    int arr[] = { 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2 };
    int n = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);
 
    cout << "Player " << playGame(arr, n) << " Wins" << endl;
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program for Game of Replacement
import java.util.HashSet;
public class GameOfReplacingArrayElements
{
    // Function return which player win the game
    public static int playGame(int arr[])
    {
        // Create hash that will stores
        // all distinct element
        HashSet<Integer> set=new HashSet<>();
 
        // Traverse an array element
        for(int i:arr)
            set.add(i);
        return (set.size()%2==0)?1:2;
    }
 
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        int arr[] = { 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2 };
        System.out.print("Player "+playGame(arr)+" wins");
    }
}
//This code is contributed by Gaurav Tiwari

Python3

# Python program for Game of Replacement
 
# Function return which player win the game
def playGame(arr, n):
 
    # Create hash that will stores
    # all distinct element
    s = set()
 
    # Traverse an array element
    for i in range(n):
        s.add(arr[i])
    return 1 if len(s) % 2 == 0 else 2
 
# Driver code
arr = [1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2]
n = len(arr)
print("Player",playGame(arr, n),"Wins")
 
# This code is contributed by Shrikant13

C#

// C# program for Game of Replacement
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
 
public class GameOfReplacingArrayElements
{
    // Function return which player win the game
    public static int playGame(int []arr)
    {
        // Create hash that will stores
        // all distinct element
        HashSet<int> set = new HashSet<int>();
 
        // Traverse an array element
        foreach(int i in arr)
            set.Add(i);
        return (set.Count % 2 == 0) ? 1 : 2;
    }
 
    // Driver code
    public static void Main(String []args)
    {
        int []arr = { 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2 };
        Console.Write("Player " + playGame(arr) + " wins");
    }
}
 
// This code has been contributed by 29AjayKumar

Javascript

<script>
 
// Javascript program for Game of Replacement
 
// Function return which player win the game
function playGame(arr, n)
{
 
    // Create hash that will stores
    // all distinct element
    var hash = new Set();
 
    // Traverse an array element
    for (var i = 0; i < n; i++)
        hash.add(arr[i]);
 
    return (hash.size % 2 == 0 ? 1 : 2);
}
 
// Driver Function
var arr = [1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2];
var n = arr.length;
document.write( "Player " + playGame(arr, n) + " Wins" );
 
// This code is contributed by importantly.
</script>

Output:

Player 1 Wins

Time Complexity : O(n)

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