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

Form Smallest Number From Two Digit Arrays

Difficulty: Easy

Problem Description

Given two arrays of unique digits nums1 and nums2, return the smallest number that contains at least one digit from each array.

Key Insights

  • The smallest number can be formed by combining digits from both arrays.
  • If there is a common digit between the two arrays, that digit is the smallest possible number.
  • If there are no common digits, the smallest number can be created by combining the smallest digits from each array.

Space and Time Complexity

Time Complexity: O(n + m), where n is the length of nums1 and m is the length of nums2.
Space Complexity: O(1), as we only use a few variables to keep track of the smallest digits.

Solution

To solve the problem, we can utilize the following approach:

  1. Identify if there are any common digits between nums1 and nums2.
  2. If a common digit exists, it is the smallest possible number we can return.
  3. If no common digits exist, find the smallest digit from each array and form the smallest possible two-digit number by combining them in ascending order.

We can use a set to efficiently check for common digits and simple comparisons to find the smallest digits.

Code Solutions

def minNumber(nums1, nums2):
    set1 = set(nums1)
    set2 = set(nums2)
    
    # Find common digits
    common_digits = set1.intersection(set2)
    
    if common_digits:
        return min(common_digits)  # Return the smallest common digit
    
    # Find the smallest digits in both arrays
    min1 = min(nums1)
    min2 = min(nums2)
    
    # Form the smallest two-digit number
    return min(min1, min2) * 10 + max(min1, min2)

# Example usage
print(minNumber([4,1,3], [5,7]))  # Output: 15
print(minNumber([3,5,2,6], [3,1,7]))  # Output: 3
← Back to All Questions