Logic Over Lines

Today I started the DSA with C++ 1.0 Cohort led by Hitesh Choudhary Sir and Prateek Sir, and the very first class left me with a golden insight — DSA is not just about solving problems, but solving them optimally. 💡

Here’s the simple yet powerful problem we explored:

You have 9 balls: 8 of equal weight and 1 heavier. Using a weighing scale, find the heavier ball in the minimum number of comparisons.

🔁 Naive Approach: Compare each ball one by one using a loop.

❌ Worst-case: 8 comparisons

⚡ Optimized Approach (Divide & Conquer): Split into 3 sets of 3 balls.

1. Compare Set A vs Set B

2. If equal → heavy ball in Set C

3. If not → heavy set has it Repeat the process with 3 balls.

✅ Only 2 comparisons!

🎯 Takeaway: "More lines of code ≠ higher complexity." Sometimes, a few extra lines with the right logic can drastically reduce time complexity. It's all about thinking like a problem solver, not just a coder.

🔥 This cohort is off to a fantastic start, and I’m excited to keep sharing insights as we go deeper into the world of DSA. Let’s crack it together! 💻

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