Hi Everyone
In this blog, I want to present to you a beginner-friendly video lecture series on dynamic programming on trees.
My aim till now has been to make the explanations intuitive, crisp and clear. I feel even a beginner will be able to benefit from these video lectures.
So let’s get started.
Link to the problems
Subordinates
Explanation : https://youtu.be/fGznXJ-LTbI
AC code : CSES/Subordinates at master · kartik8800/CSES · GitHub
Tree Matching
Somehow I feel some other nice approaches are also possible, please do share.
Explanation : https://youtu.be/RuNAYVTn9qM
AC code : CSES/Tree Matching at master · kartik8800/CSES · GitHub
Tree Diameter
Explanation : https://youtu.be/qNObsKl0GGY
AC code : CSES/Tree Diameter at master · kartik8800/CSES · GitHub
Tree Distances I
This problem uses the rerooting technique, we evaluate the answer for every node assuming it to be the root of the tree. If we do this naively this will be O(N^2) time but if we do this using something known as the reroorting technique and propogate partial answers of parent node with respect to the child nodes we can optimize our solution to O(N) overall time complexity.
I feel Tree Distances II is easier compared to Tree Distances I and would recommend to try it first.
Explanation : https://youtu.be/N7e4CTfimkU
AC code : CSES/Tree Distances 1 at master · kartik8800/CSES · GitHub
Tree Distances II
This problem also uses the rerooting technique.
Explanation : https://youtu.be/nGhE4Ekmzbc
AC code : CSES/Tree Distances 2 at master · kartik8800/CSES · GitHub
Distance in Tree
This problem also uses the rerooting technique.
Problem link: Problem - D - Codeforces
Explanation : https://youtu.be/SOhZqL6HPjQ
Company Queries I
This problem uses a technique(the technique itself uses DP) known as Binary lifting. I will be adding a detailed lecture on binary lifting with code.
Explanation : https://youtu.be/FAfSArGC8KY
Company Queries II
This problems requires us to know a technique to calculate LCA of two nodes in a tree in O(logN) time. Evaluation of LCA in O(logN) can be done using binary lifting. I will add a more detailed video soon.
LCA using binary Search: https://youtu.be/qPxS_rY0OJw
LCA slightly different from standard algorithm: https://youtu.be/s9zZOVsF_eo
Distance Queries
Problem Statement : what is the distance between nodes a and b?
Short explanation : Let LCA(a,b) be node x, what is distance between a and x?
Preprocess the levels of all the nodes in the tree.
lvl[i] : level of node i in the tree.
Ans to query distance(a,b) = (lvl[a] — lvl[x]) + (lvl[b] — lvl[x]) where x is the LCA(a,x).
Again finding LCA of two nodes can be done in O(logN) time and levels of all nodes can be found in O(N) time preprocessing.
Explanation: https://youtu.be/i9ctLWyVSsA
Appleman and tree
problem statement: Problem - 461B - Codeforces
solution video: DP on Trees: Appleman and Tree | Codeforces | Rated 2000 - YouTube
Binary Tree Cameras Leetcode
problem statement: - LeetCode
solution video: Binary Tree Cameras | Leetcode | DP on Trees - YouTube
Will try to add the remaining problems also as soon as possible for me.
I am also planning to add video lecture series on more topics which might be helpful to beginners as well intermediates. I will be open to feedback and suggestions.
I hope people find this helpful 
