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Solve the Linear Equation of Single Variable

Given a linear equation, task is to find the value of variable used. The equation contains only ‘+’, ‘-‘ operation, the variable and its coefficient.

  1. If there is no solution for the equation, return “No solution”.
  2. If there are infinite solutions for the equation, return “Infinite solutions”.
  3. If there is exactly one solution for the equation, ensure that the value of x is an integer.

Examples :

Input : "x + 5 - 3 + x = 6 + x - 2"
Output : "x = 2"

Input : "x = x"
Output : "Infinite solutions"

Input: "2x = x"
Output: "x = 0"

Input: "x = x + 2"
Output: "No solution"

Approach : The idea is to use two pointers to update two parameters: the coefficient of variable used and the total sum. On the left and right side of ‘=’, use opposite signs for each numbers which is taken care of by a sign variable, which will flip once ‘=’ is seen. Now, in case of a unique solution, the ratio of the effective total and coefficient gives the required result. In case of infinite solutions, both the effective total and coefficient turns out to be zero e.g. x + 1 = x + 1. In case of no solution, the coefficient of x turns out to be zero, but the effective total is non-zero. 




// CPP program to solve the given equation
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function to solve the given equation
string solveEquation(string equation)
{
    int n = equation.size(), sign = 1, coeff = 0;
    int total = 0, i = 0;
 
    // Traverse the equation
    for (int j = 0; j < n; j++) {
        if (equation[j] == '+' || equation[j] == '-') {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign * stoi(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            i = j;
        }
 
        // For cases such as: x, -x, +x
        else if (equation[j] == 'x') {
            if ((i == j) || equation[j - 1] == '+')
                coeff += sign;
            else if (equation[j - 1] == '-')
                coeff -= sign;
            else
                coeff += sign * stoi(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            i = j + 1;
        }
 
        // Flip sign once '=' is seen
        else if (equation[j] == '=') {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign * stoi(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            sign = -1;
            i = j + 1;
        }
    }
 
    // There may be a number left in the end
    if (i < n)
        total += sign * stoi(equation.substr(i));
 
    // For infinite solutions
    if (coeff == 0 && total == 0)
        return "Infinite solutions";
 
    // For no solution
    if (coeff == 0 && total)
        return "No solution";
 
    // x = total sum / coeff of x
    // '-' sign indicates moving
    // numeric value to right hand side
    int ans = -total / coeff;
    return "x=" + to_string(ans);
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    string equation = "x+5-3+x=6+x-2";
    cout << solveEquation(equation);
    return 0;
}




// Java program to solve
// the given equation
import java.io.*;
 
class GFG
{
// Function to solve
// the given equation
static String solveEquation(String equation)
{
    int n = equation.length(),
        sign = 1, coeff = 0;
    int total = 0, i = 0;
 
    // Traverse the equation
    for (int j = 0; j < n; j++)
    {
        if (equation.charAt(j) == '+' ||
            equation.charAt(j) == '-')
        {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign *
                         Integer.parseInt(
                                 equation.substring(i, j));
            i = j;
        }
 
        // For cases such
        // as: x, -x, +x
        else if (equation.charAt(j) == 'x')
        {
            if ((i == j) ||
                 equation.charAt(j - 1) == '+')
                coeff += sign;
                 
            else if (equation.charAt(j - 1) == '-')
                coeff -= sign;
                 
            else
                coeff += sign *
                         Integer.parseInt(
                                 equation.substring(i, j));
            i = j + 1;
        }
 
        // Flip sign once
        // '=' is seen
        else if (equation.charAt(j) == '=')
        {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign *
                         Integer.parseInt(
                                 equation.substring(i, j));
            sign = -1;
            i = j + 1;
        }
    }
 
    // There may be a
    // number left in the end
    if (i < n)
        total = total +
                sign *
                Integer.parseInt(
                        equation.substring(i));
 
    // For infinite
    // solutions
    if (coeff == 0 &&
        total == 0)
        return "Infinite solutions";
 
    // For no solution
    if (coeff == 0 &&
        total != 0)
        return "No solution";
 
    // x = total sum / coeff
    // of x '-' sign indicates
    // moving numeric value to
    // right hand side
    int ans = -total / coeff;
    return (Integer.toString(ans));
}
 
// Driver code
public static void main(String args[])
{
    String equation = new String("x+5-3+x=6+x-2");
    System.out.print("x = " +
                      solveEquation(equation));
}
}
 
// This code is contributed by
// Manish Shaw(manishshaw1)




# Python program to solve
# the given equation
 
# def to solve
# the given equation
def solveEquation(equation) :
 
    n = len(equation)
    sign = 1
    coeff = 0
    total = 0
    i = 0
 
    # Traverse the equation
    for j in range(0, n) :
     
        if (equation[j] == '+' or
            equation[j] == '-') :
         
            if (j > i) :
                total = (total + sign *
                         int(equation[i: j]))
            i = j
         
        # For cases such
        # as: x, -x, +x
        elif (equation[j] == 'x') :
         
            if ((i == j) or
                equation[j - 1] == '+') :
                coeff += sign
            elif (equation[j - 1] == '-') :
                coeff = coeff - sign
            else :
                coeff = (coeff + sign *
                         int(equation[i: j]))
            i = j + 1
         
        # Flip sign once
        # '=' is seen
        elif (equation[j] == '=') :
         
            if (j > i) :
                total = (total + sign *
                         int(equation[i: j]))
            sign = -1
            i = j + 1
         
    # There may be a number
    # left in the end
    if (i < n) :
        total = (total + sign *
                 int(equation[i: len(equation)]))
 
    # For infinite solutions
    if (coeff == 0 and
        total == 0) :
        return "Infinite solutions"
 
    # For no solution
    if (coeff == 0 and total) :
        return "No solution"
 
    # x = total sum / coeff of x
    # '-' sign indicates moving
    # numeric value to right hand side
    ans = -total / coeff
    return int(ans)
 
# Driver code
equation = "x+5-3+x=6+x-2"
print ("x = {}" .
        format(solveEquation(equation)))
 
# This code is contributed by
# Manish Shaw(manishshaw1)




// C# program to solve
// the given equation
using System;
 
class GFG
{
    // Function to solve
    // the given equation
    static string solveEquation(string equation)
    {
        int n = equation.Length,
            sign = 1, coeff = 0;
        int total = 0, i = 0;
     
        // Traverse the equation
        for (int j = 0; j < n; j++)
        {
            if (equation[j] == '+' ||
                equation[j] == '-')
            {
                if (j > i)
                    total += sign *
                             Int32.Parse(
                             equation.Substring(i, j - i));
                i = j;
            }
     
            // For cases such
            // as: x, -x, +x
            else if (equation[j] == 'x')
            {
                if ((i == j) ||
                     equation[j - 1] == '+')
                    coeff += sign;
                     
                else if (equation[j - 1] == '-')
                    coeff -= sign;
                     
                else
                    coeff += sign *
                             Int32.Parse(
                             equation.Substring(i, j - i));
                i = j + 1;
            }
     
            // Flip sign once
            // '=' is seen
            else if (equation[j] == '=')
            {
                if (j > i)
                    total += sign *
                             Int32.Parse(
                             equation.Substring(i, j - i));
                sign = -1;
                i = j + 1;
            }
        }
     
        // There may be a
        // number left in the end
        if (i < n)
            total += sign *
                     Int32.Parse(
                     equation.Substring(i));
     
        // For infinite
        // solutions
        if (coeff == 0 && total == 0)
            return "Infinite solutions";
     
        // For no solution
        if (coeff == 0 && total != 0)
            return "No solution";
     
        // x = total sum / coeff
        // of x '-' sign indicates
        // moving numeric value to
        // right hand side
        int ans = -total / coeff;
        return "x = " + ans.ToString();
    }
     
    // Driver code
    static void Main()
    {
        string equation = "x+5-3+x=6+x-2";
        Console.Write(solveEquation(equation));
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by
// Manish Shaw(manishshaw1)




<?php
// PHP program to solve
// the given equation
 
// Function to solve
// the given equation
function solveEquation($equation)
{
    $n = strlen($equation);
    $sign = 1; $coeff = 0;
    $total = 0; $i = 0;
 
    // Traverse the equation
    for ($j = 0; $j < $n; $j++)
    {
        if ($equation[$j] == '+' ||
            $equation[$j] == '-')
        {
            if ($j > $i)
                $total += $sign *
                          intval(substr($equation,
                                        $i, $j - $i));
            $i = $j;
        }
 
        // For cases such
        // as: x, -x, +x
        else if ($equation[$j] == 'x')
        {
            if (($i == $j) ||
                 $equation[$j - 1] == '+')
                $coeff += $sign;
            else if ($equation[$j - 1] == '-')
                $coeff -= $sign;
            else
                $coeff += $sign *
                          intval(substr($equation,
                                        $i, $j - $i));
            $i = $j + 1;
        }
 
        // Flip sign once
        // '=' is seen
        else if ($equation[$j] == '=')
        {
            if ($j > $i)
                $total += $sign *
                          intval(substr($equation,
                                        $i, $j - $i));
            $sign = -1;
            $i = $j + 1;
        }
    }
 
    // There may be a number
    // left in the end
    if ($i < $n)
        $total += $sign *
                  intval(substr($equation, $i));
 
    // For infinite solutions
    if ($coeff == 0 &&
        $total == 0)
        return "Infinite solutions";
 
    // For no solution
    if ($coeff == 0 && $total)
        return "No solution";
 
    // x = total sum / coeff of x
    // '-' sign indicates moving
    // numeric value to right hand side
    $ans = -$total / $coeff;
    return "x = " . $ans;
}
 
// Driver code
$equation = "x+5-3+x=6+x-2";
echo (solveEquation($equation));
 
// This code is contributed by
// Manish Shaw(manishshaw1)
?>




// JavaScript program to solve the given equation
 
// Function to solve the given equation
function solveEquation(equation)
{
    let n = equation.length, sign = 1, coeff = 0;
    let total = 0, i = 0;
 
    // Traverse the equation
    for (let j = 0; j < n; j++) {
        if (equation[j] == '+' || equation[j] == '-') {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign * parseInt(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            i = j;
        }
 
        // For cases such as: x, -x, +x
        else if (equation[j] == 'x') {
            if ((i == j) || equation[j - 1] == '+')
                coeff += sign;
            else if (equation[j - 1] == '-')
                coeff -= sign;
            else
                coeff += sign * parseInt(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            i = j + 1;
        }
 
        // Flip sign once '=' is seen
        else if (equation[j] == '=') {
            if (j > i)
                total += sign * parseInt(equation.substr(i, j - i));
            sign = -1;
            i = j + 1;
        }
    }
 
    // There may be a number left in the end
    if (i < n)
        total += sign * parseInt(equation.substr(i));
 
    // For infinite solutions
    if (coeff == 0 && total == 0)
        return "Infinite solutions";
 
    // For no solution
    if (coeff == 0 && total)
        return "No solution";
 
    // x = total sum / coeff of x
    // '-' sign indicates moving
    // numeric value to right hand side
    let ans = -Math.floor(total / coeff);
    return "x=" + ans.toString();
}
 
// Driver code
let equation = "x+5-3+x=6+x-2";
console.log(solveEquation(equation));
 
// This code is contributed by phasing17

Output:
x = 2

Time complexity : O(n), where n is the length of equation string. Auxiliary Space : O(1)


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