The task is to find lost element in the array. I understand the logic of the solution but I don't understand how does this formula works?
Here is the solution
int[] array = new int[]{4,1,2,3,5,8,6};
int size = array.length;
int result = (size + 1) * (size + 2)/2;
for (int i : array){
result -= i;
}
But why we add 1 to total size and multiply it to total size + 2 /2 ?? In all resources, people just use that formula but nobody explains how that formula works
The sum of the digits 1
thru n
is equal to ((n)(n+1))/2.
e.g. for 1,2,3,4,5 5*6/2 = 15.
But this is just a quick way to add up the numbers from 1
to n
. Here is what is really going on.
The series computes the sum of 1
to n
assuming they all were present. But by subtracting each number from that sum, the remainder is the missing number.
The formula for an arithmetic series of integers from k
to n
where adjacent elements differ by 1 is.
S[k,n] = (n-k+1)(n+k)/2
Example: k = 5, n = 10
S[k,n] = 5 6 7 8 9 10
S[k,n] = 10 9 8 7 6 5
S[k,n] = (10-5+1)*(10+5)/2
2S[k,n] = 6 * 15 / 2
S[k,n] = 90 / 2 = 45
For any single number missing from the sequence, by subtracting the others from the sum of 45, the remainder will be the missing number.
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