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Problems > Double or Add One > Editorial

Double or Add One — Solution & Editorial

Back to the Problem

Work backwards from B: halve when even (and still ≥ A), otherwise subtract 1 — the reverse moves are forced, which is why the greedy is optimal (forwards greedy is not).

Complexity: O(log B)

Watch out: Forward greedy (double when possible) fails; reasoning backwards from B makes each step forced.