Many Hard LeetCode Problems are Just Easy Constraint Problems
2025-09-12
The author recounts a frustrating interview experience where a seemingly simple change-making problem stumped him due to his lack of dynamic programming skills. He argues that many challenging LeetCode problems are, in fact, easily solvable using constraint solvers like MiniZinc, Z3, or OR-Tools. The article presents several examples, including maximizing stock profit and finding the largest rectangle in a histogram, demonstrating the elegant simplicity and power of constraint solvers, especially when dealing with complex constraints.
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