Hard
Minimum Window Substring
Hard
0 submissions
50 coins
+200 XP
Hash Table
Sliding Window
String
Problem Description
## Problem
Given two strings `s` and `t` of lengths `m` and `n` respectively, return the **minimum window substring** of `s` such that every character in `t` (including duplicates) is included in the window. If there is no such substring, return the empty string `""`.
The testcases will be generated such that the answer is **unique**.
## Examples
**Example 1:**
```
Input: s = "ADOBECODEBANC", t = "ABC"
Output: "BANC"
Explanation: The minimum window substring "BANC" includes 'A', 'B', and 'C' from string t.
```
**Example 2:**
```
Input: s = "a", t = "a"
Output: "a"
Explanation: The entire string s is the minimum window.
```
**Example 3:**
```
Input: s = "a", t = "aa"
Output: ""
Explanation: Both 'a's from t must be included in the window. Since the largest window of s only has one 'a', return empty string.
```
## Approach Hints
Use a sliding window with two pointers. Expand the right pointer to include all characters of `t`, then contract the left pointer to minimize the window. Use frequency maps to track character counts.
Constraints
- `m == s.length`
- `n == t.length`
- `1 <= m, n <= 100000`
- `s` and `t` consist of uppercase and lowercase English letters.
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