Given an array of integers, you have to find three numbers such that the sum of two elements equals the third element.
Examples:
Input: {5, 32, 1, 7, 10, 50, 19, 21, 2}
Output: 21, 2, 19Input: {5, 32, 1, 7, 10, 50, 19, 21, 0}
Output: no such triplet exist
Question source: Arcesium Interview Experience | Set 7 (On campus for Internship)
Simple approach:
Run three loops and check if there exists a triplet such that sum of two elements equals the third element.
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
Java
import java.util.*; public class Main { // Utility function for finding triplet in array public static void findTriplet( int [] arr, int n) { for ( int i = 0 ; i < n; i++) { for ( int j = i + 1 ; j < n; j++) { for ( int k = j + 1 ; k < n; k++) { if ((arr[i] + arr[j] == arr[k]) || (arr[i] + arr[k] == arr[j]) || (arr[j] + arr[k] == arr[i])) { // printing out the first triplet System.out.println( "Numbers are: " + arr[i] + " " + arr[j] + " " + arr[k]); return ; } } } } // No such triplet is found in array System.out.println( "No such triplet exists" ); } // Driver program public static void main(String[] args) { int [] arr = { 5 , 32 , 1 , 7 , 10 , 50 , 19 , 21 , 2 }; int n = arr.length; findTriplet(arr, n); } } |
Numbers are: 5 7 2
Time complexity: O(n^3)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Efficient approach:
The idea is similar to Find a triplet that sum to a given value.
Step-by-step approach:
- Sort the given array first.
- Start fixing the greatest element of three from the back and traverse the array to find the other two numbers which sum up to the third element.
- Take two pointers j(from front) and k(initially i-1) to find the smallest of the two number and from i-1 to find the largest of the two remaining numbers
- If the addition of both the numbers is still less than A[i], then we need to increase the value of the summation of two numbers, thereby increasing the j pointer, so as to increase the value of A[j] + A[k].
- If the addition of both the numbers is more than A[i], then we need to decrease the value of the summation of two numbers, thereby decrease the k pointer so as to decrease the overall value of A[j] + A[k].
Below image is a dry run of the above approach:
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
Java
// Java program to find three numbers // such that sum of two makes the // third element in array import java.util.Arrays; public class GFG { // Utility function for finding // triplet in array static void findTriplet( int arr[], int n) { // Sort the array Arrays.sort(arr); // For every element in arr check // if a pair exist(in array) whose // sum is equal to arr element for ( int i = n - 1 ; i >= 0 ; i--) { int j = 0 ; int k = i - 1 ; while (j < k) { if (arr[i] == arr[j] + arr[k]) { // Pair found System.out.println( "numbers are " + arr[i] + " " + arr[j] + " " + arr[k]); return ; } else if (arr[i] > arr[j] + arr[k]) j += 1 ; else k -= 1 ; } } // No such triplet is found in array System.out.println( "No such triplet exists" ); } // Driver code public static void main(String args[]) { int arr[] = { 5 , 32 , 1 , 7 , 10 , 50 , 19 , 21 , 2 }; int n = arr.length; findTriplet(arr, n); } } // This code is contributed by Sumit Ghosh |
numbers are 21 2 19
Time complexity: O(N^2)
Auxiliary Space: O(1) as no extra space has been used.
Java Program to Find a triplet such that sum of two equals to third element using Binary Search:
- Sort the given array.
- Start a nested loop, fixing the first element i(from 0 to n-1) and moving the other one j (from i+1 to n-1).
- Take the sum of both the elements and search it in the remaining array using Binary Search.
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
Java
// Java program to find three numbers // such that sum of two makes the // third element in array import java.util.*; class GFG{ // Function to perform binary search static boolean search( int sum, int start, int end, int arr[]) { while (start <= end) { int mid = (start + end) / 2 ; if (arr[mid] == sum) { return true ; } else if (arr[mid] > sum) { end = mid - 1 ; } else { start = mid + 1 ; } } return false ; } // Function to find the triplets static void findTriplet( int arr[], int n) { // Sorting the array Arrays.sort(arr); // Initialising nested loops for ( int i = 0 ; i < n; i++) { for ( int j = i + 1 ; j < n; j++) { // Finding the sum of the numbers if (search((arr[i] + arr[j]), j, n - 1 , arr)) { // Printing out the first triplet System.out.print( "Numbers are: " + arr[i] + " " + arr[j] + " " + (arr[i] + arr[j])); return ; } } } // If no such triplets are found System.out.print( "No such numbers exist" ); } // Driver code public static void main(String args[]) { int arr[] = { 5 , 32 , 1 , 7 , 10 , 50 , 19 , 21 , 2 }; int n = arr.length; findTriplet(arr, n); } } // This code is contributed by target_2 |
Numbers are: 2 5 7
Time Complexity: O(N^2*log N)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Please refer complete article on Find a triplet such that sum of two equals to third element for more details!
Ready to dive in? Explore our Free Demo Content and join our DSA course, trusted by over 100,000 neveropen!