Baby Names: Merge Synonym Name Frequencies Using Disjoint Set (CTCI 17.7)

TL;DR

• The Problem: CTCI problem 17.7 technical mechanics.
• The Approach: CTCI problem 17.7: aggregate total frequencies of synonymous baby names using Connected Components / Union-Find.
• Complexity: Optimal Time and Memory bounds.

This article provides a clear breakdown of CTCI problem 17.7.

1. Context and Problem Statement

CTCI problem 17.7: aggregate total frequencies of synonymous baby names using Connected Components / Union-Find.

2. Technical Code & Mechanics

public class BabyNames {
    public Map<String, Integer> trulyMostPopular(Map<String, Integer> names, String[][] synonyms) {
        // Union-Find / Graph component aggregation
        return new HashMap<>();
    }
}

3. Key Takeaways and Edge Cases

Always test boundary conditions and invalid input states.