We use cookies (including Google cookies) to personalize ads and analyze traffic. By continuing to use our site, you accept our Privacy Policy.

SimplyLeet
TagsDisclaimersPrivacyTermsContactAbout Us

Consecutive Characters

Difficulty: Easy

Problem Description

The power of the string is the maximum length of a non-empty substring that contains only one unique character. Given a string s, return the power of s.

Key Insights

  • A substring is defined as a contiguous sequence of characters within a string.
  • We need to find the longest contiguous substring that consists of the same character.
  • We can traverse the string while keeping track of the current character and its count, updating the maximum count as needed.

Space and Time Complexity

Time Complexity: O(n), where n is the length of the string s. We traverse the string once. Space Complexity: O(1), as we use a constant amount of additional space for counters.

Solution

To solve this problem, we will use a simple linear scan approach with two counters: one for tracking the current character's count and another for the maximum count found. As we iterate through the string, we will compare each character to the previous one. If they are the same, we increment the current count; if not, we reset it to 1. Throughout the process, we will continuously update the maximum count.

Code Solutions

def maxPower(s: str) -> int:
    max_count = 1  # maximum length of substring found
    current_count = 1  # current length of contiguous character
    
    # Iterate through the string
    for i in range(1, len(s)):
        if s[i] == s[i - 1]:  # same as previous character
            current_count += 1
        else:  # different character
            max_count = max(max_count, current_count)  # update max count
            current_count = 1  # reset current count
            
    max_count = max(max_count, current_count)  # final check for last substring
    return max_count
← Back to All Questions