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Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns in Python

Solution: Word Search

Explore how to apply backtracking and depth-first search to determine if a word exists in a 2D character grid by checking all possible sequential paths. Understand how to efficiently search and backtrack while respecting constraints on cell usage.

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Statement

Given an m x n grid of characters, board, and a string word, return TRUE if word exists in the grid.

The word can be formed by connecting letters of sequentially adjacent cells. The cells are considered sequentially adjacent when neighbors are either horizontally or vertically neighbors. Each cell can be used only once while forming the word.

Constraints:

  • m ==== board.length

  • n == board[i].length, where 0≤0 \leq i << m

  • 1≤1 \leq m, n ≤ ...