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Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns

Bulls and Cows

Explore how to use hash maps to solve the Bulls and Cows game by counting digits in correct and incorrect positions. Learn to analyze problem constraints and return hints for each guess, strengthening your understanding of pattern-based coding interview problems.

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Statement

You are playing a number guessing game called “Bulls and Cows” with a friend.

You write down a secret number, and your friend tries to guess it. After each guess, you provide a hint based on the following:

  • Bulls: The number of digits that are in the correct position in the guess.

  • Cows: The number of digits that are in both the secret and the guess but in different positions. (These are non-bull digits that could become bulls if rearranged.) ...