Minimize the cost of partitioning an array into K groups

Last Updated : 09 Jun, 2021

Given an array arr[] and an integer K, the task is to partition the array into K non-empty groups where each group is a subarray of the given array and each element of the array is part of only one group. All the elements in a given group must have the same value. You can perform the following operation any number of times:
Choose an element from the array and change it’s value to any value. Print the minimum number of such operations required to partition the array.
Examples:

Input: arr[] = {3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5}, K = 3
Output: 3
The array can be partitioned in {3, 3, 3, 3}, {2, 2} and {8, 8}
by changing the 2^nd element to 3, the 6^th
element to 2 and the last element to 8.
Input:arr[] = {3, 3, 9, 10}, K = 3
Output: 0
Divide the array in groups {3, 3}, {9} and {10}
without performing any operations.

Observations:

If K = 1 then the group is the complete array itself. To minimize the number of operations needed the most intuitive thing to do is to change all the elements of the array and make them equal to the mode of the array (element with the highest frequency).
For K groups, the last element of the array will always belong to the K^th group while the 1^st element will belong to the 1^st group.
If K^th group has been found correctly then the problem will reduce to partitioning the remaining array into K – 1 groups using minimum operations.

Approach: This problem can be solved using dynamic programming.

Let DP(i, j) represent the minimum operations needed to partition the array[1..i] into j groups.
Now, the task is to find DP(N, K) which is the minimum operations needed to partition the array[1..N] into K groups.
The base cases DP(i, j) where j = 1 can be easily answered. Since the complete array array[1..i] needs to be partitioned into a single group only. From the observations, find the mode of the array[1..i] and change all the elements in array[1..i] to the mode. If the mode occurred x times then i – x elements will have to be changed i.e. i – x operations.
Since, the K^th group ends at the last element. However it may start at various possible positions. Suppose that the K^th group starts at some index it then array[it..N] needs to be partitioned into a single group and array[1..(it – 1)] needs to be partitioned into K – 1 groups. The cost of partitioning array[1..(it – 1)] into K – 1 groups is DP(it – 1, K – 1) and the cost of partitioning array[it..N] in a single group can be calculated using the mode and it’s frequency observation.
To find the frequency of the most occurring element in a range [it..i] we can use a hashmap and an integer variable. The integer variable represents the current highest frequency. The map stores all elements seen till now along with their frequencies. Whenever an element is seen it’s frequency is incremented in the map, if now the frequency of this element is higher than the current highest frequency we update the current highest frequency to the frequency of the just seen element. Refer this for the approach.
Therefore DP(i, j) is the minimum of DP(it – 1, j – 1) + cost of partitioning array[it..i] into 1 group for all possible values of it.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

   // C++ implementation of the approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function to return the minimum number
// of operations needed to partition
// the array in k contiguous groups
// such that all elements of a
// given group are identical
int getMinimumOps(vector<int> ar, int k)
{
    // n is the size of the array
    int n = ar.size();
 
    // dp(i, j) represents the minimum cost for
    // partitioning the array[0..i] into j groups
    int dp[n][k + 1];
 
    // Base case, cost is 0 for parititoning the
    // array[0..0] into 1 group
    dp[0][1] = 0;
 
    // Fill dp(i, j) and the answer will
    // be stored at dp(n-1, k)
    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
 
        // The maximum groups that the segment 0..i can
        // be divided in is represented by maxGroups
        int maxGroups = min(k, i + 1);
 
        for (int j = 1; j <= maxGroups; j++) {
 
            // Initialize dp(i, j) to infinity
            dp[i][j] = INT_MAX;
 
            // Divide segment 0..i in 1 group
            if (j == 1) {
 
                // map and freqOfMode are together used to
                // keep track of the frequency of the most
                // occurring element in [0..i]
                unordered_map<int, int> freq;
                int freqOfMode = 0;
                for (int it = 0; it <= i; it++) {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
                }
 
                // Change all the elements in the range
                // 0..i to the most frequent element
                // in this range
                dp[i][1] = (i + 1) - freqOfMode;
            }
            else {
                unordered_map<int, int> freq;
                int freqOfMode = 0;
 
                // If the jth group is the segment from
                // it..i, we change all the elements in this
                // range to this range's most occurring element
                for (int it = i; it >= j - 1; it--) {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
 
                    // Number of elements we need to change
                    // in the jth group i.e. the range it..i
                    int elementsToChange = i - it + 1;
                    elementsToChange -= freqOfMode;
 
                    // For all the possible sizes of the jth
                    // group that end at the ith element
                    // we pick the size that gives us the minimum
                    // cost for dp(i, j)
                    // elementsToChange is the cost of making
                    // all the elements in the jth group identical
                    // and we make use of dp(it - 1, j - 1) to
                    // find the overall minimal cost
                    dp[i][j] = min(dp[it - 1][j - 1]
                                       + elementsToChange,
                                   dp[i][j]);
                }
            }
        }
    }
 
    // Return the minimum cost for
    // partitioning array[0..n-1]
    // into k groups which is
    // stored at dp(n-1, k)
    return dp[n - 1][k];
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    int k = 3;
    vector<int> ar = { 3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5 };
 
    cout << getMinimumOps(ar, k);
 
    return 0;
}
 
  

Java

   // Java implementation of above approach
class GFG
{
     
// Function to return the minimum number
// of operations needed to partition
// the array in k contiguous groups
// such that all elements of a
// given group are identical
static int getMinimumOps(int ar[], int k)
{
    // n is the size of the array
    int n = ar.length;
 
    // dp(i, j) represents the minimum cost for
    // partitioning the array[0..i] into j groups
    int dp[][] = new int[n][k + 1];
 
    // Base case, cost is 0 for parititoning the
    // array[0..0] into 1 group
    dp[0][1] = 0;
 
    // Fill dp(i, j) and the answer will
    // be stored at dp(n-1, k)
    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++)
    {
 
        // The maximum groups that the segment 0..i can
        // be divided in is represented by maxGroups
        int maxGroups = Math.min(k, i + 1);
 
        for (int j = 1; j <= maxGroups; j++) 
        {
 
            // Initialize dp(i, j) to infinity
            dp[i][j] = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 
            // Divide segment 0..i in 1 group
            if (j == 1) 
            {
 
                // map and freqOfMode are together used to
                // keep track of the frequency of the most
                // occurring element in [0..i]
                int freq[] = new int[100000];
                int freqOfMode = 0;
                for (int it = 0; it <= i; it++) 
                {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
                }
 
                // Change all the elements in the range
                // 0..i to the most frequent element
                // in this range
                dp[i][1] = (i + 1) - freqOfMode;
            }
            else
            {
                int freq[] = new int[100000];
                int freqOfMode = 0;
 
                // If the jth group is the segment from
                // it..i, we change all the elements in this
                // range to this range's most occurring element
                for (int it = i; it >= j - 1; it--) 
                {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
 
                    // Number of elements we need to change
                    // in the jth group i.e. the range it..i
                    int elementsToChange = i - it + 1;
                    elementsToChange -= freqOfMode;
 
                    // For all the possible sizes of the jth
                    // group that end at the ith element
                    // we pick the size that gives us the minimum
                    // cost for dp(i, j)
                    // elementsToChange is the cost of making
                    // all the elements in the jth group identical
                    // and we make use of dp(it - 1, j - 1) to
                    // find the overall minimal cost
                    dp[i][j] = Math.min(dp[it - 1][j - 1] +
                                        elementsToChange, dp[i][j]);
                }
            }
        }
    }
 
    // Return the minimum cost for
    // partitioning array[0..n-1]
    // into k groups which is
    // stored at dp(n-1, k)
    return dp[n - 1][k];
}
 
// Driver code
public static void main(String args[])
{
    int k = 3;
    int ar[] = { 3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5 };
 
    System.out.println(getMinimumOps(ar, k));
}
}
 
// This code is contributed by Arnab Kundu
 
  

Python3

   # Python3 implementation of the approach
 
# Function to return the minimum number
# of operations needed to partition
# the array in k contiguous groups
# such that all elements of a
# given group are identical
def getMinimumOps(ar, k):
     
    # n is the size of the array
    n = len(ar)
 
    # dp(i, j) represents the minimum cost for
    # partitioning the array[0..i] into j groups
    dp = [[ 0 for i in range(k + 1)] 
              for i in range(n)]
 
    # Base case, cost is 0 for parititoning the
    # array[0..0] into 1 group
    dp[0][1] = 0
 
    # Fill dp(i, j) and the answer will
    # be stored at dp(n-1, k)
    for i in range(1, n):
 
        # The maximum groups that the segment 0..i can
        # be divided in is represented by maxGroups
        maxGroups = min(k, i + 1)
 
        for j in range(1, maxGroups + 1):
 
            # Initialize dp(i, j) to infinity
            dp[i][j] = 10**9
 
            # Divide segment 0..i in 1 group
            if (j == 1):
 
                # map and freqOfMode are together used to
                # keep track of the frequency of the most
                # occurring element in [0..i]
                freq1 = dict()
                freqOfMode = 0
                for it in range(0, i + 1):
 
                    freq1[ar[it]] = freq1.get(ar[it], 0) + 1
                    newElementFreq = freq1[ar[it]]
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode):
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq
 
                # Change all the elements in the range
                # 0..i to the most frequent element
                # in this range
                dp[i][1] = (i + 1) - freqOfMode
 
            else:
                freq = dict()
                freqOfMode = 0
 
                # If the jth group is the segment from
                # it..i, we change all the elements in this
                # range to this range's most occurring element
                for it in range(i, j - 2, -1):
                     
                    #print(i,j,it)
                    freq[ar[it]] = freq.get(ar[it], 0) + 1
                    newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]]
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode):
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq
 
                    # Number of elements we need to change
                    # in the jth group i.e. the range it..i
                    elementsToChange = i - it + 1
                    elementsToChange -= freqOfMode
 
                    # For all the possible sizes of the jth
                    # group that end at the ith element
                    # we pick the size that gives us the minimum
                    # cost for dp(i, j)
                    # elementsToChange is the cost of making
                    # all the elements in the jth group identical
                    # and we make use of dp(it - 1, j - 1) to
                    # find the overall minimal cost
                    dp[i][j] = min(dp[it - 1][j - 1] + 
                                   elementsToChange, dp[i][j])
 
    # Return the minimum cost for
    # partitioning array[0..n-1]
    # into k groups which is
    # stored at dp(n-1, k)
    return dp[n - 1][k]
 
# Driver code
k = 3
ar =[3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5]
 
print(getMinimumOps(ar, k))
 
# This code is contributed by Mohit Kumar
 
  

C#

   // C# implementation of above approach 
using System;
 
class GFG 
{ 
     
// Function to return the minimum number 
// of operations needed to partition 
// the array in k contiguous groups 
// such that all elements of a 
// given group are identical 
static int getMinimumOps(int []ar, int k) 
{ 
    // n is the size of the array 
    int n = ar.Length; 
 
    // dp(i, j) represents the minimum cost for 
    // partitioning the array[0..i] into j groups 
    int [,]dp = new int[n, k + 1]; 
 
    // Base case, cost is 0 for parititoning the 
    // array[0..0] into 1 group 
    dp[0, 1] = 0; 
 
    // Fill dp(i, j) and the answer will 
    // be stored at dp(n-1, k) 
    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) 
    { 
 
        // The maximum groups that the segment 0..i can 
        // be divided in is represented by maxGroups 
        int maxGroups = Math.Min(k, i + 1); 
 
        for (int j = 1; j <= maxGroups; j++) 
        { 
 
            // Initialize dp(i, j) to infinity 
            dp[i, j] = int.MaxValue; 
 
            // Divide segment 0..i in 1 group 
            if (j == 1) 
            { 
 
                // map and freqOfMode are together used to 
                // keep track of the frequency of the most 
                // occurring element in [0..i] 
                int []freq = new int[100000]; 
                int freqOfMode = 0; 
                for (int it = 0; it <= i; it++) 
                { 
                    freq[ar[it]]++; 
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]]; 
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode) 
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq; 
                } 
 
                // Change all the elements in the range 
                // 0..i to the most frequent element 
                // in this range 
                dp[i, 1] = (i + 1) - freqOfMode; 
            } 
            else
            { 
                int []freq = new int[100000]; 
                int freqOfMode = 0; 
 
                // If the jth group is the segment from 
                // it..i, we change all the elements in this 
                // range to this range's most occurring element 
                for (int it = i; it >= j - 1; it--) 
                { 
                    freq[ar[it]]++; 
                    int newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]]; 
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode) 
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq; 
 
                    // Number of elements we need to change 
                    // in the jth group i.e. the range it..i 
                    int elementsToChange = i - it + 1; 
                    elementsToChange -= freqOfMode; 
 
                    // For all the possible sizes of the jth 
                    // group that end at the ith element 
                    // we pick the size that gives us the minimum 
                    // cost for dp(i, j) 
                    // elementsToChange is the cost of making 
                    // all the elements in the jth group identical 
                    // and we make use of dp(it - 1, j - 1) to 
                    // find the overall minimal cost 
                    dp[i, j] = Math.Min(dp[it - 1, j - 1] + 
                                        elementsToChange, dp[i, j]); 
                } 
            } 
        } 
    } 
 
    // Return the minimum cost for 
    // partitioning array[0..n-1] 
    // into k groups which is 
    // stored at dp(n-1, k) 
    return dp[n - 1, k]; 
} 
 
// Driver code 
public static void Main(String []args) 
{ 
    int k = 3; 
    int []ar = {3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5}; 
 
    Console.WriteLine(getMinimumOps(ar, k)); 
} 
} 
 
// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar
 
  

Javascript

   <script>
// Javascript implementation of above approach
 
// Function to return the minimum number
// of operations needed to partition
// the array in k contiguous groups
// such that all elements of a
// given group are identical
function getMinimumOps(ar, k)
{
 
    // n is the size of the array
    let n = ar.length;
   
    // dp(i, j) represents the minimum cost for
    // partitioning the array[0..i] into j groups
    let dp = new Array(n);
    for(let i = 0; i < dp.length; i++)
    {
        dp[i] = new Array(k+1);
        for(let j = 0; j < (k + 1); j++)
        {
            dp[i][j] = 0;
        }
    }
   
    // Base case, cost is 0 for parititoning the
    // array[0..0] into 1 group
    dp[0][1] = 0;
   
    // Fill dp(i, j) and the answer will
    // be stored at dp(n-1, k)
    for (let i = 1; i < n; i++)
    {
   
        // The maximum groups that the segment 0..i can
        // be divided in is represented by maxGroups
        let maxGroups = Math.min(k, i + 1);
   
        for (let j = 1; j <= maxGroups; j++) 
        {
   
            // Initialize dp(i, j) to infinity
            dp[i][j] = Number.MAX_VALUE;
   
            // Divide segment 0..i in 1 group
            if (j == 1) 
            {
   
                // map and freqOfMode are together used to
                // keep track of the frequency of the most
                // occurring element in [0..i]
                let freq = new Array(100000);
                for(let i=0;i<freq.length;i++)
                {
                    freq[i]=0;
                }
                let freqOfMode = 0;
                for (let it = 0; it <= i; it++) 
                {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    let newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
                }
   
                // Change all the elements in the range
                // 0..i to the most frequent element
                // in this range
                dp[i][1] = (i + 1) - freqOfMode;
            }
            else
            {
                let freq = new Array(100000);
                for(let i = 0; i < freq.length; i++)
                {
                    freq[i] = 0;
                }
                let freqOfMode = 0;
   
                // If the jth group is the segment from
                // it..i, we change all the elements in this
                // range to this range's most occurring element
                for (let it = i; it >= j - 1; it--) 
                {
                    freq[ar[it]]++;
                    let newElementFreq = freq[ar[it]];
                    if (newElementFreq > freqOfMode)
                        freqOfMode = newElementFreq;
   
                    // Number of elements we need to change
                    // in the jth group i.e. the range it..i
                    let elementsToChange = i - it + 1;
                    elementsToChange -= freqOfMode;
   
                    // For all the possible sizes of the jth
                    // group that end at the ith element
                    // we pick the size that gives us the minimum
                    // cost for dp(i, j)
                    // elementsToChange is the cost of making
                    // all the elements in the jth group identical
                    // and we make use of dp(it - 1, j - 1) to
                    // find the overall minimal cost
                    dp[i][j] = Math.min(dp[it - 1][j - 1] +
                                        elementsToChange, dp[i][j]);
                }
            }
        }
    }
   
    // Return the minimum cost for
    // partitioning array[0..n-1]
    // into k groups which is
    // stored at dp(n-1, k)
    return dp[n - 1][k];
}
 
// Driver code
let k = 3;
let ar=[3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 8, 5 ];
document.write(getMinimumOps(ar, k));
 
// This code is contributed by unknown2108
</script>
 
  

Output:

Time Complexity: O(N * N * K) where N is the size of the array and K is the number of groups the array should be partitioned into.
Space Complexity: O(N * K)

Minimum cost to partition the given binary string

KartikArora

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Minimize the cost of partitioning an array into K groups

C++

Java

Python3

C#

Javascript

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