Problem 42498. Pancake sorting - minimum flips.

Sort a stack of pancakes by flipping them using spatula.
  • There are N pancakes with diameters 1:N.
  • Spatula can be inserted anywhere in the stack and used to flip all the pancakes above.
  • Sort pancakes in increasing order.
  • Return a vector of places where spatula was inserted.
  • Minimize number of flips, your score will depend on the number of flips in the last few tests.
  • References: math.illinois.edu, wikipedia.
Example (horizontal view):
Initial stack: 6 4 2 5 3 1, ("," indicates position of spatula)
first flip: 1 3 5,2 4 6
second: 5 3 1 2 4,6
... 4 2 1 3,5 6
3 1 2,4 5 6
2 1,3 4 5 6
sorted! 1 2 3 4 5 6
positions of spatula from the begining: 6 3 5 4 3 2
Solve

Solution Stats

68.92% Correct | 31.08% Incorrect
Last Solution submitted on Apr 03, 2025

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