Defuse the Bomb

Last modified: July 21, 2026

#cp-easy

You have a bomb to defuse, and your time is running out! Your informer will provide you with a circular array codeΒ of length of nΒ and a key k.

To decrypt the code, you must replace every number. All the numbers are replaced simultaneously.

  • If k > 0, replace the ith number with the sum of the next k numbers.
  • If k < 0, replace the ith number with the sum of the previousΒ -k numbers.
  • If k == 0, replace the ith number with 0.

As code is circular, the next element of code[n-1] is code[0], and the previous element of code[0] is code[n-1].

Given the circular array code and an integer key k, return the decrypted code to defuse the bomb!

Example 1:

Input: code = [5,7,1,4], k = 3 Output: [12,10,16,13] Explanation: Each number is replaced by the sum of the next 3 numbers. The decrypted code is [7+1+4, 1+4+5, 4+5+7, 5+7+1]. Notice that the numbers wrap around.

Example 2:

Input: code = [1,2,3,4], k = 0 Output: [0,0,0,0] Explanation: When k is zero, the numbers are replaced by 0.

Example 3:

Input: code = [2,4,9,3], k = -2 Output: [12,5,6,13] Explanation: The decrypted code is [3+9, 2+3, 4+2, 9+4]. Notice that the numbers wrap around again. If k is negative, the sum is of the previous numbers.

class Solution:
    def decrypt(self, code: list[int], k: int) -> list[int]:
        N = len(code)
        result = [0] * N
        
        if k == 0:
            return result
        
        # Define initial window boundaries based on k
        if k > 0:
            left = 1
            right = k
        else:
            left = N + k  # If k is negative, N + k steps backward from the end
            right = N - 1
            
        # Calculate the sum for the initial window (i = 0)
        current_window_sum = 0
        for i in range(left, right + 1):
            current_window_sum += code[i % N]
            
        result[0] = current_window_sum
        
        # Slide the window across the rest of the array
        for i in range(1, N):
            # Remove the element leaving the window
            current_window_sum -= code[left % N]
            # Advance boundaries circularly
            left += 1
            right += 1
            # Add the element entering the window
            current_window_sum += code[right % N]
            
            result[i] = current_window_sum
            
        return result