// Source : https://leetcode.com/problems/minimum-length-of-string-after-deleting-similar-ends/
// Author : Hao Chen
// Date   : 2021-02-12

/***************************************************************************************************** 
 *
 * Given a string s consisting only of characters 'a', 'b', and 'c'. You are asked to apply the 
 * following algorithm on the string any number of times:
 * 
 * 	Pick a non-empty prefix from the string s where all the characters in the prefix are equal.
 * 	Pick a non-empty suffix from the string s where all the characters in this suffix are equal.
 * 	The prefix and the suffix should not intersect at any index.
 * 	The characters from the prefix and suffix must be the same.
 * 	Delete both the prefix and the suffix.
 * 
 * Return the minimum length of s after performing the above operation any number of times (possibly 
 * zero times).
 * 
 * Example 1:
 * 
 * Input: s = "ca"
 * Output: 2
 * Explanation: You can't remove any characters, so the string stays as is.
 * 
 * Example 2:
 * 
 * Input: s = "cabaabac"
 * Output: 0
 * Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
 * - Take prefix = "c" and suffix = "c" and remove them, s = "abaaba".
 * - Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "baab".
 * - Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "b" and remove them, s = "aa".
 * - Take prefix = "a" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "".
 * 
 * Example 3:
 * 
 * Input: s = "aabccabba"
 * Output: 3
 * Explanation: An optimal sequence of operations is:
 * - Take prefix = "aa" and suffix = "a" and remove them, s = "bccabb".
 * - Take prefix = "b" and suffix = "bb" and remove them, s = "cca".
 * 
 * Constraints:
 * 
 * 	1 <= s.length <= 105
 * 	s only consists of characters 'a', 'b', and 'c'.
 ******************************************************************************************************/

class Solution {
public:
    int minimumLength(string s) {
        char ch; 
        int left=0, right=s.size()-1;
        
        while(left < right) {
            ch = s[left];
            if (s[right] != ch) break;
            
            while (s[left] == ch) left++;
    
            if (left >= right ) return 0;
            while (s[right] == ch) right--;
        }
        
        return right - left + 1;
        
    }
};