Clumsy Factorial Solution in Java

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Problem Description

Welcome to the whimsical world of Clumsy Factorial! Imagine you’re at a party, and everyone is trying to impress each other with their factorial skills. But wait! There’s a twist. Instead of calculating the factorial in a straightforward manner, you have to do it in a clumsy way.

The problem is simple: Given a non-negative integer n, you need to calculate the clumsy factorial of n. The clumsy factorial is defined as follows:

Start with n.
Multiply it by n-1, then divide by n-2, then multiply by n-3, and so on, alternating between multiplication and division.
If you reach 0 or 1, just add 1 to the result.

So, if you thought calculating factorials was easy, think again! It’s like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle—fun, but definitely not straightforward!

Code Solution

class Solution {
  public int clumsy(int n) {
    if (n == 1)
      return 1;
    if (n == 2)
      return 2;
    if (n == 3)
      return 6;
    if (n == 4)
      return 7;
    if (n % 4 == 1)
      return n + 2;
    if (n % 4 == 2)
      return n + 2;
    if (n % 4 == 3)
      return n - 1;
    return n + 1;
  }
}

Approach

The approach taken in this solution is quite clever. Instead of calculating the factorial in a traditional manner, the code uses a series of conditional statements to determine the result based on the value of n. The key insight is that the result can be derived from a simple pattern based on the remainder of n when divided by 4. This allows for a constant time solution without the need for complex calculations.

Time and Space Complexity

Complexity Type	Complexity
Time Complexity	O(1)
Space Complexity	O(1)

Real-World Example

Imagine you’re at a cooking competition, and the judges are looking for the most creative way to prepare a dish. Instead of just following the recipe, you have to mix things up—literally! You might add ingredients in a clumsy order, like tossing in spices while trying to chop vegetables. The end result might be a deliciously chaotic dish, much like the clumsy factorial!