Check if String can be made Palindrome by replacing characters in given pairs
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
Given a string str and K pair of characters, the task is to check if string str can be made Palindrome, by replacing one character of each pair with the other.
Examples:
Input: str = "geeks", K = 2, pairs = [["g", "s"], ["k", "e"]]
Output: True
Explanation:
Swap 's' of "geeks" with 'g' using pair ['g', 's'] = "geekg"
Swap 'k' of "geekg" with 'e' using pair ['k', 'e'] = "geeeg"
Now the resultant string is a palindrome. Hence the output will be True.
Input: str = "geeks", K = 1, pairs = [["g", "s"]]
Output: False
Explanation: Here only the first character can be swapped (g, s)
Final string formed will be : geekg, which is not a palindrome.
Naive Approach: The given problem can be solved by creating an undirected graph where an edge connecting (x, y) represents a relation between characters x and y.
- Check for the condition of palindrome by validating the first half characters with later half characters.
- If not equal:
- Run a dfs from the first character and check if the last character can be reached.
- Then, check for the second character with the second last character and so on.
Time Complexity: O(N * M), where N is size of target string and M is size of pairs array
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Efficient Approach: The problem can be solved efficiently with the help of following idea:
Use a disjoint set data structure where each pair [i][0] and pair [i][1] can be united under the same set and search operation can be done efficiently.
Instead of searching for the characters each time, try to group all the characters which are connected directly or indirectly, in the same set.
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
C++
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
// Structure for Disjoint set union
struct disjoint_set {
vector<int> parent, rank;
// Initialize DSU variables
disjoint_set()
{
parent.resize(26);
rank.resize(26);
for (int i = 0 ; i < 26 ; i++) {
parent[i] = i;
rank[i] = 1;
}
}
// Find parent of vertex 'v'
int find_parent(int v)
{
if (v == parent[v])
return v;
return parent[v] = find_parent(parent[v]);
}
// Union two sets containing vertices a and b
void Union(int p1, int p2)
{
p1 = find_parent(p1);
p2 = find_parent(p2);
if (p1 != p2){
// rank of p1 smaller than p2
if(rank[p1] < rank[p2]){
parent[p1] = p2;
}else if(rank[p2] < rank[p1]){
parent[p2] = p1;
// rank of p2 equal to p1
}else{
parent[p2] = p1;
rank[p1] += 1;
}
}
}
// Function for checking whether
// vertex a and b are in same set or not
bool connected(int p1, int p2)
{
p1 = find_parent(p1);
p2 = find_parent(p2);
if(p1 == p2) return true;
return false;
}
};
// Function solving the problem
bool solve(string& target, vector<pair<char, char> >& pairs)
{
// Initialize new instance of DSU
disjoint_set dsu; // Only lowercase letters
for (auto i : pairs) {
dsu.Union(i.first - 'a', i.second - 'a');
}
int lower = 0, upper = (int)target.length() - 1;
while (lower <= upper) {
if (!dsu.connected(target[lower] - 'a', target[upper] - 'a')) {
return false;
}
lower+=1;
upper-=1;
}
return true;
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
string target = "geeks";
vector<pair<char, char> > pairs
= { { 'g', 's' }, { 'e', 'k' } };
bool ans = solve(target, pairs);
if (ans) {
cout << "true\n";
}
else {
cout << "false\n";
}
return 0;
}
// This code is contributed by subhamgoyal2014.
# Python code for the above approach:
class disjoint_set():
def __init__(self):
# string consist of only smallcase letters
self.parent = [i for i in range(26)]
self.rank = [1 for i in range(26)]
def find_parent(self, x):
if (self.parent[x] == x):
return x
self.parent[x] = self.find_parent(self.parent[x])
return (self.parent[x])
def union(self, u, v):
p1 = self.find_parent(u)
p2 = self.find_parent(v)
if (p1 != p2):
# rank of p1 smaller than p2
if(self.rank[p1] < self.rank[p2]):
self.parent[p1] = p2
elif(self.rank[p2] < self.rank[p1]):
self.parent[p2] = p1
# rank of p2 equal to p1
else:
self.parent[p2] = p1
self.rank[p1] += 1
def connected(self, w1, w2):
p1 = self.find_parent(w1)
p2 = self.find_parent(w2)
if (p1 == p2):
return True
return False
class Solution:
def solve(self, target, pairs):
size = len(target)
# Create a object of disjoint set
dis_obj = disjoint_set()
for (u, v) in pairs:
ascii_1 = ord(u) - ord('a')
ascii_2 = ord(v) - ord('a')
# Take union of both the characters
dis_obj.union(ascii_1, ascii_2)
left = 0
right = size-1
# Check for palindrome condition
# For every character
while(left < right):
s1 = target[left]
s2 = target[right]
# If characters not same
if (s1 != s2):
# Convert to ascii value between 0-25
ascii_1 = ord(s1) - ord('a')
ascii_2 = ord(s2) - ord('a')
# Check if both the words
# Belong to same set
if (not dis_obj.connected(ascii_1, ascii_2)):
return False
left += 1
right -= 1
# Finally return True
return (True)
if __name__ == '__main__':
target = "geeks"
pairs = [["g", "s"], ["e", "k"]]
obj = Solution()
ans = obj.solve(target, pairs)
if (ans):
print('true')
else:
print('false')
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
class Program
{
// Structure for Disjoint set union
private class DisjointSet
{
private int[] parent, rank;
// Initialize DSU variables
public DisjointSet()
{
parent = new int[26];
rank = new int[26];
for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++)
{
parent[i] = i;
rank[i] = 1;
}
}
// Find parent of vertex 'v'
public int FindParent(int v)
{
if (v == parent[v])
return v;
return parent[v] = FindParent(parent[v]);
}
// Union two sets containing vertices a and b
public void Union(int p1, int p2)
{
p1 = FindParent(p1);
p2 = FindParent(p2);
if (p1 != p2)
{
// rank of p1 smaller than p2
if (rank[p1] < rank[p2])
{
parent[p1] = p2;
}
else if (rank[p2] < rank[p1])
{
parent[p2] = p1;
}
// rank of p2 equal to p1
else
{
parent[p2] = p1;
rank[p1] += 1;
}
}
}
// Function for checking whether
// vertex a and b are in same set or not
public bool Connected(int p1, int p2)
{
p1 = FindParent(p1);
p2 = FindParent(p2);
if (p1 == p2) return true;
return false;
}
}
// Function solving the problem
private static bool Solve(string target, List<Tuple<char, char>> pairs)
{
// Initialize new instance of DSU
DisjointSet dsu = new DisjointSet(); // Only lowercase letters
foreach (var i in pairs)
{
dsu.Union(i.Item1 - 'a', i.Item2 - 'a');
}
int lower = 0, upper = target.Length - 1;
while (lower <= upper)
{
if (!dsu.Connected(target[lower] - 'a', target[upper] - 'a'))
{
return false;
}
lower += 1;
upper -= 1;
}
return true;
}
// Driver code
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string target = "geeks";
List<Tuple<char, char>> pairs =
new List<Tuple<char, char>>()
{
new Tuple<char, char>('g', 's'),
new Tuple<char, char>('e', 'k')
};
bool ans = Solve(target, pairs);
if (ans)
{
Console.WriteLine("true");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("false");
}
}
}
// This code is contributed by lokeshpotta20.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
// Structure for Disjoint set union
public static class DisjointSet {
private int[] parent, rank;
// Initialize DSU variables
public DisjointSet() {
parent = new int[26];
rank = new int[26];
for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
parent[i] = i;
rank[i] = 1;
}
}
// Find parent of vertex 'v'
public int findParent(int v) {
if (v == parent[v]) return v;
return parent[v] = findParent(parent[v]);
}
// Union two sets containing vertices a and b
public void union(int p1, int p2) {
p1 = findParent(p1);
p2 = findParent(p2);
if (p1 != p2) {
// rank of p1 smaller than p2
if (rank[p1] < rank[p2]) {
parent[p1] = p2;
} else if (rank[p2] < rank[p1]) {
parent[p2] = p1;
}
// rank of p2 equal to p1
else {
parent[p2] = p1;
rank[p1] += 1;
}
}
}
// Function for checking whether
// vertex a and b are in same set or not
public boolean connected(int p1, int p2) {
p1 = findParent(p1);
p2 = findParent(p2);
if (p1 == p2) return true;
return false;
}
}
// Function solving the problem
public static boolean solve(String target, List<Map.Entry<Character, Character>> pairs) {
// Initialize new instance of DSU
DisjointSet dsu = new DisjointSet(); // Only lowercase letters
for (Map.Entry<Character, Character> i : pairs) {
dsu.union(i.getKey() - 'a', i.getValue() - 'a');
}
int lower = 0, upper = target.length() - 1;
while (lower <= upper) {
if (!dsu.connected(target.charAt(lower) - 'a', target.charAt(upper) - 'a')) {
return false;
}
lower += 1;
upper -= 1;
}
return true;
}
// Driver code
public static void main(String[] args) {
String target = "geeks";
List<Map.Entry<Character, Character>> pairs = new ArrayList<>();
pairs.add(new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>('g', 's'));
pairs.add(new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>('e', 'k'));
boolean ans = solve(target, pairs);
if (ans) {
System.out.println("true");
}
else {
System.out.println("false");
}
}
}
<script>
// JavaScript code for the above approach:
class disjoint_set{
constructor(){
// string consist of only smallcase letters
this.parent = new Array(26)
for(let i=0;i<26;i++){
this.parent[i] = i
}
this.rank = new Array(26).fill(1)
}
find_parent(x){
if (this.parent[x] == x)
return x
this.parent[x] = this.find_parent(this.parent[x])
return (this.parent[x])
}
union(u, v){
let p1 = this.find_parent(u)
let p2 = this.find_parent(v)
if (p1 != p2){
// rank of p1 smaller than p2
if(this.rank[p1] < this.rank[p2])
this.parent[p1] = p2
else if(this.rank[p2] < this.rank[p1])
this.parent[p2] = p1
// rank of p2 equal to p1
else{
this.parent[p2] = p1
this.rank[p1] += 1
}
}
}
connected(w1, w2){
let p1 = this.find_parent(w1)
let p2 = this.find_parent(w2)
if (p1 == p2)
return true
return false
}
}
class Solution{
solve(target, pairs){
let size = target.length
// Create a object of disjoint set
let dis_obj = new disjoint_set()
for (let [u, v] of pairs){
let ascii_1 = (u).charCodeAt(0) - ('a').charCodeAt(0)
let ascii_2 = (v).charCodeAt(0) - ('a').charCodeAt(0)
// Take union of both the characters
dis_obj.union(ascii_1, ascii_2)
}
let left = 0
let right = size-1
// Check for palindrome condition
// For every character
while(left < right){
let s1 = target[left]
let s2 = target[right]
// If characters not same
if (s1 != s2){
// Convert to ascii value between 0-25
let ascii_1 = s1.charCodeAt(0) - 'a'.charCodeAt(0)
let ascii_2 = s2.charCodeAt(0) - 'a'.charCodeAt(0)
// Check if both the words
// Belong to same set
if (!dis_obj.connected(ascii_1, ascii_2))
return false
}
left += 1
right -= 1
}
// Finally return true
return true
}
}
// driver code
let target = "geeks"
let pairs = [["g", "s"], ["e", "k"]]
let obj = new Solution()
let ans = obj.solve(target, pairs)
if (ans)
document.write('true')
else
document.write('false')
// This code is contributed by shinjanpatra
</script>
Time Complexity: O(N)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
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