Manacher's algorithm (algorithm to find longest palindrome substring in linear time)

Question

After spending about 6-8 hours trying to digest the Manacher\'s algorithm, I am ready to throw in the towel. But before I do, here is one last shot in the dark: can anyone e

Answer 1

This material is of great help for me to understand it: http://solutionleetcode.blogspot.com/2013/07/leetcode-longest-palindromic-substring.html

Define T as the length of the longest palindromic substrings centered at each of the characters.

The key thing is, when smaller palindromes are completely embedded within the longer palindrome, T[i] should also be symmetric within the longer palindrome.

Otherwise, we will have to compute T[i] from scratch, rather than induce from the symmetric left part.

Answer 2

using namespace std;

class Palindrome{
public:
    Palindrome(string st){
        s = st; 
        longest = 0; 
        maxDist = 0;
        //ascii: 126(~) - 32 (space) = 94 
        // for 'a' to 'z': vector<vector<int>> v(26,vector<int>(0)); 
        vector<vector<int>> v(94,vector<int>(0)); //all ascii 
        mDist.clear();
        vPos = v; 
        bDebug = true;
    };

    string s;
    string sPrev;    //previous char
    int longest;     //longest palindrome size
    string sLongest; //longest palindrome found so far
    int maxDist;     //max distance been checked 
    bool bDebug;

    void findLongestPal();
    int checkIfAnchor(int iChar, int &i);
    void checkDist(int iChar, int i);

    //store char positions in s pos[0] : 'a'... pos[25] : 'z' 
    //       0123456
    // i.e. "axzebca" vPos[0][0]=0  (1st. position of 'a'), vPos[0][1]=6 (2nd pos. of 'a'), 
    //                vPos[25][0]=2 (1st. pos. of 'z').  
    vector<vector<int>> vPos;

    //<anchor,distance to check> 
    //   i.e.  abccba  anchor = 3: position of 2nd 'c', dist = 3 
    //   looking if next char has a dist. of 3 from previous one 
    //   i.e.  abcxcba anchor = 4: position of 2nd 'c', dist = 4 
    map<int,int> mDist;
};

//check if current char can be an anchor, if so return next distance to check (3 or 4)
// i.e. "abcdc" 2nd 'c' is anchor for sub-palindrome "cdc" distance = 4 if next char is 'b'
//      "abcdd: 2nd 'd' is anchor for sub-palindrome "dd"  distance = 3 if next char is 'c'
int Palindrome::checkIfAnchor(int iChar, int &i){
    if (bDebug)
          cout<<"checkIfAnchor. i:"<<i<<" iChar:"<<iChar<<endl;
    int n = s.size();
    int iDist = 3;
    int iSize = vPos[iChar].size();
    //if empty or distance to closest same char > 2
    if ( iSize == 0 || vPos[iChar][iSize - 1] < (i - 2)){
        if (bDebug)
              cout<<"       .This cannot be an anchor! i:"<<i<<" : iChar:"<<iChar<<endl; 
        //store char position
        vPos[iChar].push_back(i);
        return -1; 
    }

    //store char position of anchor for case "cdc"
    vPos[iChar].push_back(i);    
    if (vPos[iChar][iSize - 1] == (i - 2))
        iDist = 4;
    //for case "dd" check if there are more repeated chars
    else {
        int iRepeated = 0;
        while ((i+1) < n && s[i+1] == s[i]){
            i++;
            iRepeated++;
            iDist++; 
            //store char position
            vPos[iChar].push_back(i);
        }
    }

    if (bDebug)
          cout<<"       .iDist:"<<iDist<<" i:"<<i<<endl; 

    return iDist;
};

//check distance from previous same char, and update sLongest
void Palindrome::checkDist(int iChar, int i){
    if (bDebug)
            cout<<"CheckDist. i:"<<i<<" iChar:"<<iChar<<endl;
    int iDist;
    int iSize = vPos[iChar].size();
    bool b1stOrLastCharInString; 
    bool bDiffDist;

    //checkAnchor will add this char position 
    if ( iSize == 0){
        if (bDebug)
            cout<<"       .1st time we see this char. Assign it INT_MAX Dist"<<endl; 
        iDist = INT_MAX;
    }
    else {
        iDist = i - vPos[iChar][iSize - 1]; 
    }

    //check for distances being check, update them if found or calculate lengths if not.
    if (mDist.size() == 0) {
        if (bDebug)
             cout<<"       .no distances to check are registered, yet"<<endl;
        return;
    }

    int i2ndMaxDist = 0;
    for(auto it = mDist.begin(); it != mDist.end();){
        if (bDebug)
                cout<<"       .mDist. anchor:"<<it->first<<" . dist:"<<it->second<<endl; 
        b1stOrLastCharInString = false; 
        bDiffDist = it->second == iDist;  //check here, because it can be updated in 1st. if
        if (bDiffDist){
            if (bDebug)
                cout<<"       .Distance checked! :"<<iDist<<endl;
            //check if it's the first char in the string
            if (vPos[iChar][iSize - 1] == 0 || i == (s.size() - 1))
                b1stOrLastCharInString = true;
            //we will continue checking for more...
            else {
                it->second += 2; //update next distance to check
                if (it->second > maxDist) {
                     if (bDebug)
                          cout<<"       .previous MaxDist:"<<maxDist<<endl;
                     maxDist = it->second;
                     if (bDebug)
                          cout<<"       .new MaxDist:"<<maxDist<<endl;
                }
                else if (it->second > i2ndMaxDist) {//check this...hmtest
                     i2ndMaxDist = it->second;
                     if (bDebug)
                          cout<<"       .second MaxDist:"<<i2ndMaxDist<<endl;
                }
                it++; 
            }
        }
        if (!bDiffDist || b1stOrLastCharInString) {
            if (bDebug && it->second != iDist)
                cout<<"       .Dist diff. Anchor:"<<it->first<<" dist:"<<it->second<<" iDist:"<<iDist<<endl;
            else if (bDebug) 
                cout<<"       .Palindrome found at the beggining or end of the string"<<endl;

            //if we find a closest same char.
            if (!b1stOrLastCharInString && it->second > iDist){
                if (iSize > 1) {
                   if (bDebug)
                       cout<<"       . < Dist . looking further..."<<endl; 
                   iSize--;  
                   iDist = i - vPos[iChar][iSize - 1];
                   continue;    
                }
            }
            if (iDist == maxDist) {
                maxDist = 0;
                if (bDebug)
                     cout<<"       .Diff. clearing Max Dist"<<endl;
            }
            else if (iDist == i2ndMaxDist) {
                i2ndMaxDist = 0;
                if (bDebug)
                      cout<<"       .clearing 2nd Max Dist"<<endl; 
            }

            int iStart; 
            int iCurrLength;
            //first char in string
            if ( b1stOrLastCharInString && vPos[iChar].size() > 0 && vPos[iChar][iSize - 1] == 0){
                iStart = 0;
                iCurrLength = i+1;
            }
            //last char in string
            else if (b1stOrLastCharInString && i == (s.size() - 1)){
                iStart = i - it->second; 
                iCurrLength = it->second + 1;
            }
            else {
                iStart = i - it->second + 1; 
                iCurrLength = it->second - 1;  //"xabay" anchor:2nd. 'a'. Dist from 'y' to 'x':4. length 'aba':3
            }

            if (iCurrLength > longest){
                if (bDebug)
                      cout<<"       .previous Longest!:"<<sLongest<<" length:"<<longest<<endl;
                longest = iCurrLength;               
                sLongest = s.substr(iStart, iCurrLength);

                if (bDebug)
                      cout<<"       .new Longest!:"<<sLongest<<" length:"<<longest<<endl;
            }

            if (bDebug)
                  cout<<"       .deleting iterator for anchor:"<<it->first<<" dist:"<<it->second<<endl; 

            mDist.erase(it++);
        }
    }


    //check if we need to get new max distance
    if (maxDist == 0 && mDist.size() > 0){ 
        if (bDebug)
              cout<<"       .new maxDist needed";
        if (i2ndMaxDist > 0) {
            maxDist = i2ndMaxDist;
            if (bDebug)
              cout<<"       .assigned 2nd. max Dist to max Dist"<<endl;
        }
        else {
            for(auto it = mDist.begin(); it != mDist.end(); it++){
                if (it->second > maxDist)
                    maxDist = it->second;
            }
            if (bDebug)
              cout<<"       .new max dist assigned:"<<maxDist<<endl;
        }
    }  
};        

void Palindrome::findLongestPal(){
    int n = s.length(); 
    if (bDebug){
        cout<<"01234567891123456789212345"<<endl<<"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"<<endl<<endl;            
        for (int i = 0; i < n;i++){
            if (i%10 == 0)
                cout<<i/10;
            else
                cout<<i;
        }
        cout<<endl<<s<<endl;
    }
    if (n == 0)
        return;

    //process 1st char
    int j = 0;
    //for 'a' to 'z' : while (j < n && (s[j] < 'a' && s[j] > 'z'))
    while (j < n && (s[j] < ' ' && s[j] > '~'))
        j++;
    if (j > 0){
        s.substr(j);
        n = s.length();
    }
    // for 'a' to 'z' change size of vector from 94 to 26 : int iChar = s[0] - 'a';
    int iChar = s[0] - ' ';
    //store char position
    vPos[iChar].push_back(0);  

    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++){
        if (bDebug)
            cout<<"findLongestPal. i:"<<i<<" "<<s.substr(0,i+1)<<endl; 
        //if max. possible palindrome would be smaller or equal 
        //             than largest palindrome found then exit
        //   (n - i) = string length to check 
        //   maxDist: max distance to check from i 
        int iPossibleLongestSize = maxDist + (2 * (n - i));
        if ( iPossibleLongestSize <= longest){
            if (bDebug)
                cout<<"       .PosSize:"<<iPossibleLongestSize<<" longest found:"<<iPossibleLongestSize<<endl;
            return;
        }

        //for 'a' to 'z' : int iChar = s[i] - 'a';
        int iChar = s[i] - ' ';
        //for 'a' to 'z': if (iChar < 0 || iChar > 25){
        if (iChar < 0 || iChar > 94){
            if (bDebug)
                cout<<"       . i:"<<i<<" iChar:"<<s[i]<<" skipped!"<<endl;
            continue;
        }

        //check distance to previous char, if exist
        checkDist(iChar, i);

        //check if this can be an anchor
        int iDist = checkIfAnchor(iChar,i);
        if (iDist == -1) 
            continue;

        //append distance to check for next char.
        if (bDebug)
                cout<<"       . Adding anchor for i:"<<i<<" dist:"<<iDist<<endl;
        mDist.insert(make_pair(i,iDist));

        //check if this is the only palindrome, at the end
        //i.e. "......baa" or "....baca" 
        if (i == (s.length() - 1) && s.length() > (iDist - 2)){
            //if this is the longest palindrome! 
            if (longest < (iDist - 1)){
                sLongest = s.substr((i - iDist + 2),(iDist - 1));
            }
        }
    }
};

int main(){
    string s;
    cin >> s;

    Palindrome p(s);
    p.findLongestPal();
    cout<<p.sLongest; 
    return 0;
}

Answer 3

class Palindrome
{
    private int center;
    private int radius;

    public Palindrome(int center, int radius)
    {
        if (radius < 0 || radius > center)
            throw new Exception("Invalid palindrome.");

        this.center = center;
        this.radius = radius;
    }

    public int GetMirror(int index)
    {
        int i = 2 * center - index;

        if (i < 0)
            return 0;

        return i;
    }

    public int GetCenter()
    {
        return center;
    }

    public int GetLength()
    {
        return 2 * radius;
    }

    public int GetRight()
    {
        return center + radius;
    }

    public int GetLeft()
    {
        return center - radius;
    }

    public void Expand()
    {
        ++radius;
    }

    public bool LargerThan(Palindrome other)
    {
        if (other == null)
            return false;

        return (radius > other.radius);
    }

}

private static string GetFormatted(string original)
{
    if (original == null)
        return null;
    else if (original.Length == 0)
        return "";

    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder("#");
    foreach (char c in original)
    {
        builder.Append(c);
        builder.Append('#');
    }

    return builder.ToString();
}

private static string GetUnFormatted(string formatted)
{
    if (formatted == null)
        return null;
    else if (formatted.Length == 0)
        return "";

    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
    foreach (char c in formatted)
    {
        if (c != '#')
            builder.Append(c);
    }

    return builder.ToString();
}

public static string FindLargestPalindrome(string str)
{
    string formatted = GetFormatted(str);

    if (formatted == null || formatted.Length == 0)
        return formatted;

    int[] radius = new int[formatted.Length];

    try
    {
        Palindrome current = new Palindrome(0, 0);
        for (int i = 0; i < formatted.Length; ++i)
        {
            radius[i] = (current.GetRight() > i) ?
                Math.Min(current.GetRight() - i, radius[current.GetMirror(i)]) : 0;

            current = new Palindrome(i, radius[i]);

            while (current.GetLeft() - 1 >= 0 && current.GetRight() + 1 < formatted.Length &&
                formatted[current.GetLeft() - 1] == formatted[current.GetRight() + 1])
            {
                current.Expand();
                ++radius[i];
            }
        }

        Palindrome largest = new Palindrome(0, 0);
        for (int i = 0; i < radius.Length; ++i)
        {
            current = new Palindrome(i, radius[i]);
            if (current.LargerThan(largest))
                largest = current;
        }

        return GetUnFormatted(formatted.Substring(largest.GetLeft(), largest.GetLength()));
    }
    catch (Exception ex) 
    {
        Console.WriteLine(ex);
    }

    return null;
}

Answer 4

I have found one of the best explanation so far at the following link:

http://tarokuriyama.com/projects/palindrome2.php

It also has a visualization for the same string example (babcbabcbaccba) used at the first link mentioned in the question.

Apart from this link, i also found the code at

http://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/53substring/Manacher.java.html

I hope it will be helpful to others trying hard to understand the crux of this algorithm.