Sum of the Border Elements
Problem
Read a matrix. Print the sum of the elements in the first row, the last row, the first column and the last column. Count each element only once.
Constraints
- 1 <= r, c <= 500
Examples
Input
3 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Output
40
Solutions
Adding the four sides one by one counts the four corners twice. Testing each element once with an or-condition avoids that mistake.
/*
* Problem : Process a matrix.
* Input : r and c, then r rows of c integers.
* Output : The border sum.
* Approach: One test for each element.
* Time : O(r * c)
* Space : O(1)
* Java : 8 or newer.
*/
import java.util.Scanner;
public class Main {
// This method solves the task. It receives the input and returns the answer.
static long solve(int[][] m) {
long total = 0;
int rows = m.length;
int cols = m[0].length;
for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < cols; j++) {
// Step 1: An element is on the border if it is in the first or last row, or in the first or last column.
boolean onBorder = i == 0 || i == rows - 1 || j == 0 || j == cols - 1;
// Step 2: One check for each element means no element is counted twice.
if (onBorder) {
total += m[i][j];
}
}
}
return total;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
int rows = scanner.nextInt();
int cols = scanner.nextInt();
int[][] m = new int[rows][cols];
for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < cols; j++) {
m[i][j] = scanner.nextInt();
}
}
System.out.println(solve(m));
}
}
Hints (1)
- Which elements would be counted twice if you add four sides?