Skip to solution
mediumDSA

How do you count unique paths in a grid?

624 views
01

Understand the problem

Explain the grid paths DP.

dpgrid
02

Attempt it yourself

Sketch your approach before reading the solution — that's what interviews test.

Nudge consolestandby

Stuck? Beam a request up — the console returns a conceptual nudge that guides your logic without spoiling the implementation.

03

Study the solution

Moving only right or down, the number of paths to a cell is paths(up) + paths(left), with edges initialized to 1. Fill the grid bottom-up in O(m×n), reducible to O(n) with a single row. Closed form: C(m+n-2, m-1).

Solution ready — 2 min read

Classified // press E to declassify

04

Read the code

Rolling 1-D DP
Run Playground
def unique_paths(m, n):
    dp = [1] * n                 # top row: one way to each cell
    for _ in range(1, m):
        for j in range(1, n):
            dp[j] += dp[j - 1]   # from above (dp[j]) + from the left (dp[j-1])
    return dp[n - 1]


# --- demo ---
print(unique_paths(3, 7))   # 28
print(unique_paths(3, 2))   # 3
05

Join the discussion

Discussion (0)

Sign in to join the discussion.

No responses yet. Be the first to share what you think.

Transmission complete // awaiting log

KEEP THE
STREAK ALIVE.

Dossier 60 of 127 decoded in the Data Structures & Algorithms track. One more won't hurt.

Back to track