Feature: Added a new backtracking question for the better understanding of combination sum

Author: viswajith275

backtracking/combination_sum_2.py

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+"""
+In this Combination Problem, we are given a list consisting of distinct integers.
+We need to find all the combinations whose sum equals to target given.
+We cannot use an element more than one.
+
+Time complexity(Average Case): O(n * 2^(n/2))
+
+
+Constraints:
+    1 <= candidates.length <= 100
+    1 <= candidates[i] <= 50
+    1 <= target <= 30
+"""
+
+def backtrack(candidates: list, target: int, start_index: int, total: int, path: list, answer: list) -> None:
+    """
+    A recursive function that searches for possible combinations. Backtracks in case
+    of a bigger current combination value than the target value and removes the already
+    appended values for removing repetition of elements in the solutions.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    start_index: Last index from the previous search
+    target: The value we need to obtain by summing our integers in the path list.
+    answer: A list of possible combinations
+    path: Current combination
+    candidates: A list of integers we can use.
+    total: Sum of elements in path
+    """
+    if target == 0:
+        answer.append(path.copy())
+        return
+    if total == target:
+        answer.append(path.copy())
+        return
+    for i in range(start_index, len(candidates)):
+        if i > start_index and candidates[i] == candidates[i - 1]:
+            continue
+        if total + candidates[i] > target:
+            break
+        backtrack(candidates, target, i + 1, total + candidates[i], path + [candidates[i]], answer)
+
+
+
+
+def combination_sum_2(candidates: list,target: int) -> list:
+    """
+       >>> combination_sum_2([10,1,2,7,6,1,5], 8)
+       [[1, 1, 6], [1, 2, 5], [1, 7], [2, 6]]
+       >>> combination_sum_2([1,2], 2)
+       [[2]]
+       >>> combination_sum_2([-8, 2.3, 0], 1)
+       Traceback (most recent call last):
+           ...
+       ValueError: All elements in candidates must be non-negative
+       >>> combination_sum_2([], 1)
+       Traceback (most recent call last):
+           ...
+       ValueError: Candidates list should not be empty
+       """
+    if not candidates:
+        raise ValueError("Candidates list should not be empty")
+
+    if any(x < 0 for x in candidates):
+        raise ValueError("All elements in candidates must be non-negative")
+    candidates.sort()
+    path = []
+    answer = []
+    backtrack(candidates, target, 0, 0, path, answer)
+    return answer
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    print(combination_sum_2([-8, 2.3, 0], 1))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import doctest
+
+    doctest.testmod()
+    main()