Official Analysis (C++)

Video Solution

By Melody Yu

Explanation

Since there are only $8$ cows, there are $8! = 40320$ distinct possible orderings, which is small enough for us to try all of them and still pass the problem in time.

If we generate them in alphabetical order and find an ordering that satisfies all the given constraints, then we can stop and print out the answer right then and there.

Implementation

Time Complexity: $\mathcal{O}(N)$*

Copy
from typing import List

# list of cows, in alphabetical order
COWS = ["Beatrice", "Belinda", "Bella", "Bessie", "Betsy", "Blue", "Buttercup", "Sue"]

orderings = []


def build(ordering: List[str]):
	# finished building permutation

$\mathcal{O}(N)$ Solution With Graphs

This solution is covered in the Introduction to Graphs module.