Search Suggestions System
Time ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2) · Space O(t) · Official statement on LeetCode
Solutions
// Time: ctor: O(n * l), n is the number of products
// , l is the average length of product name
// suggest: O(l^2)
// Space: O(t), t is the number of nodes in trie
class Solution {
public:
vector<vector<string>> suggestedProducts(vector<string>& products, string searchWord) {
TrieNode trie;
for (int i = 0; i < products.size(); ++i) {
trie.insert(products, i);
}
auto curr = ≜
vector<vector<string>> result(searchWord.length());
for (int i = 0; i < searchWord.length(); ++i) { // Time: O(l)
if (!curr->leaves.count(searchWord[i])) {
break;
}
curr = curr->leaves[searchWord[i]];
for (const auto& j : curr->infos) {
result[i].emplace_back(products[j]);
}
}
return result;
}
class TrieNode {
public:
static const int TOP_COUNT = 3;
~TrieNode() {
for (auto& kv : leaves) {
if (kv.second) {
delete kv.second;
}
}
}
// Time: O(l)
void insert(const vector<string>& words, int i) {
auto* curr = this;
for (const auto& c : words[i]) {
if (!curr->leaves.count(c)) {
curr->leaves[c] = new TrieNode;
}
curr = curr->leaves[c];
curr->add_info(words, i);
}
}
// Time: O(l)
void add_info(const vector<string>& words, int i) {
infos.emplace_back(i);
sort(infos.begin(), infos.end(),
[&words](const auto& a, const auto& b) {
return words[a] < words[b];
});
if (infos.size() > TOP_COUNT) {
infos.pop_back();
}
}
vector<int> infos;
unordered_map<char, TrieNode *> leaves;
};
};
// Time: ctor: O(n * l * log(n * l)), n is the number of products
// , l is the average length of product name
// suggest: O(l^2)
// Space: O(t), t is the number of nodes in trie
class Solution2 {
public:
vector<vector<string>> suggestedProducts(vector<string>& products, string searchWord) {
sort(products.begin(), products.end()); // Time: O(n * l * log(n * l))
TrieNode trie;
for (int i = 0; i < products.size(); ++i) {
trie.insert(products, i);
}
auto curr = ≜
vector<vector<string>> result(searchWord.length());
for (int i = 0; i < searchWord.length(); ++i) { // Time: O(l)
if (!curr->leaves.count(searchWord[i])) {
break;
}
curr = curr->leaves[searchWord[i]];
for (const auto& j : curr->infos) {
result[i].emplace_back(products[j]);
}
}
return result;
}
class TrieNode {
public:
static const int TOP_COUNT = 3;
~TrieNode() {
for (auto& kv : leaves) {
if (kv.second) {
delete kv.second;
}
}
}
// Time: O(l)
void insert(const vector<string>& words, int i) {
auto* curr = this;
for (const auto& c : words[i]) {
if (!curr->leaves.count(c)) {
curr->leaves[c] = new TrieNode;
}
curr = curr->leaves[c];
curr->add_info(words, i);
}
}
// Time: O(1)
void add_info(const vector<string>& words, int i) {
if (infos.size() == TOP_COUNT) {
return;
}
infos.emplace_back(i);
}
vector<int> infos;
unordered_map<char, TrieNode *> leaves;
};
};
// Time: ctor: O(n * l * log(n * l)), n is the number of products
// , l is the average length of product name
// suggest: O(l^2 * n)
// Space: O(n * l)
class Solution3 {
public:
vector<vector<string>> suggestedProducts(vector<string>& products, string searchWord) {
sort(products.begin(), products.end()); // Time: O(n * l * log(n * l))
vector<vector<string>> result;
string prefix;
for (int i = 0; i < searchWord.length(); ++i) { // Time: O(l)
prefix += searchWord[i];
int start = distance(products.cbegin(),
lower_bound(products.cbegin(),
products.cend(),
prefix)); // Time: O(log(n * l))
vector<string> new_products;
for (int j = start; j < products.size(); ++j) { // Time: O(n * l)
if (!(i < products[j].length() && products[j][i] == searchWord[i])) {
break;
}
new_products.emplace_back(products[j]);
}
products = move(new_products);
result.emplace_back();
for (int j = 0; j < min(int(products.size()), 3); ++j) {
result.back().emplace_back(products[j]);
};
}
return result;
}
};
Beginner Explanation
What is Search Suggestions System?
Search Suggestions System (LeetCode #1268) is a Medium problem that primarily trains design.
How to think about it
- Restate the goal in your own words before coding.
- Work a tiny example by hand so the invariant becomes obvious.
- Identify the pattern — this problem aligns with trie.
- Only then translate the idea into code.
Why this problem matters
It sits in the sweet spot of interview difficulty: multiple valid approaches, clear trade-offs. Official solution notes mention: Trie.
AlgoForge explanations are original teaching notes. Always open the official problem statement on LeetCode for constraints and examples.
Interview Walkthrough
Interview approach for Search Suggestions System
Opening (30–60 seconds)
- Clarify inputs/outputs and edge cases (empty input, single element, duplicates, overflow).
- State a brute force so the interviewer knows you can solve it naively.
- Propose the optimal direction tied to trie.
Core solution narrative
- Define the state you track (pointers, DP cell, set membership, stack top, etc.).
- Explain the transition when you process the next element.
- Call out time (ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2)) and space (O(t)) before coding.
- Code cleanly; narrate variable names.
What interviewers listen for
- Correctness on edge cases
- Complexity honesty
- Ability to discuss trade-offs (e.g., hash map space vs. sort + two pointers)
Follow-up questions they may ask
- Can you solve it with less memory?
- What if the input stream is infinite / doesn't fit in RAM?
- How would tests look for adversarial inputs?
Optimized Approach
Optimized solution notes
The reference solutions on AlgoForge target ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2) time and O(t) space.
Pattern focus: trie
Use the pattern as a checklist:
- trie — confirm the invariant holds after each step
Multiple methods appear in the source solutions — compare them and explain when each is preferable.
Implementation tips
- Prefer readable names over micro-optimizations in interviews.
- Extract helpers only when they clarify (e.g., expand-around-center, DFS visit).
- After AC-level logic, re-scan for off-by-one and null checks.
Complexity Analysis
Complexity
| Measure | Bound |
|---|---|
| Time | ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2) |
| Space | O(t) |
How to justify this in an interview
- Time: count loops, map/set operations, and recursive branching; state average vs worst case if relevant.
- Space: include hash maps, recursion stack, and output allocation when the problem asks for it.
If your implementation differs from the reference, re-derive big-O from your code — never memorize a complexity you cannot defend.
Common Mistakes
Common mistakes on Search Suggestions System
- Skipping edge cases — empty collections, single-element inputs, max constraints.
- Wrong invariant for trie — updating state too early or too late.
- Mutating input unexpectedly when the problem forbids it.
- Off-by-one in windows, ranges, or binary search bounds.
- Ignoring overflow / precision for integer arithmetic problems.
- Overengineering — jumping to an advanced structure when a simpler approach works.
Alternative Approaches
Alternatives
The source file includes more than one method. Compare:
- Primary optimized path — best complexity for typical interviews.
- Secondary approach — often brute force, sorting-based, or space-optimized variant.
Practice articulating when you would pick each (constraints, readability, follow-ups).
Edge Cases
Edge cases checklist
- Minimum input size
- Maximum input size / time limits
- Duplicates and already-sorted input
- Negative numbers / zeros (if applicable)
- Disconnected structures (graphs/trees)
- Single path vs branching recursion depth
Pattern Recognition
Spotting this pattern
Signal phrases that point to trie:
- Sorted input or ability to sort without changing the answer class
- Need for contiguous subarray / substring → consider sliding window
- Need for O(1) membership → hash set/map
- Optimal substructure + overlapping subproblems → DP
- Connectivity / components → graph DFS/BFS or Union-Find
Primary topics: design.
Follow-up Interview Questions
Follow-ups
- How does the solution change if the input is a stream?
- Can you solve it in-place?
- What if duplicates must be handled differently?
- How would you parallelize the approach?
- Design tests that would break a buggy implementation.
Practice Recommendations
What to practice next
- Re-solve Search Suggestions System in a second language (cpp, python).
- Drill 3–5 more problems tagged design.
- Teach the solution out loud in under 5 minutes.
- Add this problem to your revision calendar in 3 days and 14 days.
Visualization
Study checklist
- Read the official problem statement on LeetCode
- Solve on paper / whiteboard first
- Implement the trie approach
- Verify edge cases from the checklist
- State time and space complexity aloud
- Compare with the AlgoForge reference solution
- Schedule a revision session
Revision notes
Search Suggestions System (#1268) — Medium. Pattern: trie. Complexity: ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2) time / O(t) space. Re-derive the invariant before coding.
FAQs
What is the time complexity of Search Suggestions System?+
The reference solutions aim for ctor: O(n * l) suggest: O(l^2) time and O(t) space. Always re-derive complexity from the code you write in the interview.
What pattern does Search Suggestions System use?+
It primarily maps to trie, within the broader topic of design.
Is Search Suggestions System good for interviews?+
Yes — as a Medium problem it is a solid practice target. Pair it with related problems in the same pattern family for spaced repetition.
Where can I read the official statement?+
Open the official LeetCode page for constraints and examples: https://leetcode.com/problems/search-suggestions-system/