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DIY: Shortest Bridge

Explore how to algorithmically connect two islands in a binary grid by flipping the smallest number of zeros. Understand the problem constraints, implement a function, and develop skills to solve similar shortest path and graph traversal questions often seen in coding interviews.

Problem statement

You are given an n x n binary matrix grid containing 0s and 1s. Each cell in the grid represents either land or water. A cell with a value 1 represents land, while one with a value 0 represents water. A bunch of four-directionally adjacent cells with the value 1 constitutes an island.

There are exactly two islands in the grid. ...