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Minimum Steps to One Problem

Explore how to determine the minimum steps to reduce any positive integer to one by using dynamic programming techniques. Understand why a greedy approach fails and learn to implement recursive solutions that optimize step count by evaluating all possible operations.

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Problem statement

On a positive integer, you can perform any one of the following 3 steps:

1. Subtract 1 from it.

2. If it is divisible by 2, divide by 2.

3. If it is divisible by 3, divide by 3.

Given a positive integer n, find the minimum number of steps that takes n to 1.

Wait a second!! You might be thinking that this is a pretty simple problem. One can think of greedily choosing the step that makes n as low as possible and continues ...