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Problem: Similar String Groups

Medium
30 min
Explore how to determine the number of similarity groups in a list of strings that are anagrams by using the Union Find algorithm. Learn to connect strings through direct or transitive similarities by understanding swaps of characters. This lesson enhances your graph problem-solving skills and prepares you to apply Union Find in coding interviews effectively.

Statement

Two strings x and y are considered similar if they are either exactly the same or can be made identical by swapping at most two different characters in string x.

We define a similarity group as a set of strings where each string is similar to at least one other string in the group. A string doesn't need to be directly similar to every other string in the group — it just needs to be connected to them through a chain of similarities.

Given a list of strings strs, where each string is an anagram of the others, your task is to determine how many such similarity groups exist in the list.

Constraints:

  • 11 \leq strs.length 300\leq 300

  • 11 \leq strs[i].length 300\leq 300

  • strs[i] consists of lowercase letters only.

  • All words in strs have the same length and are anagrams of each other.

Problem
Ask
Submissions

Problem: Similar String Groups

Medium
30 min
Explore how to determine the number of similarity groups in a list of strings that are anagrams by using the Union Find algorithm. Learn to connect strings through direct or transitive similarities by understanding swaps of characters. This lesson enhances your graph problem-solving skills and prepares you to apply Union Find in coding interviews effectively.

Statement

Two strings x and y are considered similar if they are either exactly the same or can be made identical by swapping at most two different characters in string x.

We define a similarity group as a set of strings where each string is similar to at least one other string in the group. A string doesn't need to be directly similar to every other string in the group — it just needs to be connected to them through a chain of similarities.

Given a list of strings strs, where each string is an anagram of the others, your task is to determine how many such similarity groups exist in the list.

Constraints:

  • 11 \leq strs.length 300\leq 300

  • 11 \leq strs[i].length 300\leq 300

  • strs[i] consists of lowercase letters only.

  • All words in strs have the same length and are anagrams of each other.