Minimum steps in which N can be obtained using addition or subtraction at every step

Namachila November 18, 2025

0 0 9 minutes read

Given N, print the sequence of a minimum number of steps in which N can be obtained starting from 0 using addition or subtraction of the step number.

Note: At each step, we can add or subtract a number equal to the step number from the current position. For example, at step 1 we can add 1 or -1. Similarly, at step 2 we add 2 or -2 and so on.

The below diagram shows all possible positions that can be reached from 0 in 3 steps by performing the specified operations.

Examples :

Input: n = -4
Output: Minimum number of Steps: 3
        Step sequence: 1 -2 -3
Explanation: 
Step 1: At step 1 we add 1 to move from 0 to 1.
Step 2: At step 2 we add (-2) to move from 1 to -1.
Step 3: At step 3 we add (-3) to move from -1 to -4.

Input: n = 11
Output: Minimum number of steps = 4 
        Step sequence: 1 -2 3 4 5

Approach: The approach to solve the above problem is to mark the step numbers where we have to subtract or add where if N is positive or negative respectively. If N is positive, add numbers at every step, until the sum exceeds N. Once the sum exceeds N, check if sum-N is even or not. If sum-N is even, then at step number (sum-N)/2, subtraction is to be done. If sum-N is an odd number, then check if the last step at which sum exceeded N was even or odd. If it was odd, perform one more step else perform two steps. If sum = N at any step, then addition or subtraction at every step will give the answer.

Let N = 11, then 1+2+3+4+5=15 exceeds 11. Subtract 15-11 to get 4, which is equivalent to performing subtraction at step 2. Hence the sequence of steps is 1 -2 3 4 5

Let N=12, then 1+2+3+4+5=15 exceeds 11. Subtract 15-12 to get 3, which cannot be performed at any step. So add two more steps, one is the 6^th step and 7^th step. The target is to make sum-N even, so perform addition at 6th step and subtraction at 7th step, which combines to subtract 1 from the sum. Now sum-N is even, 14-12=2 which is equivalent to performing subtraction at step 1. Hence the sequence of steps are -1 2 3 4 5 6 -7

Let N=20, then 1+2+3+4+5+6 exceeds 20. Subtract 21-20 to get 1, so add 7 to 21 to get 28. Performing addition at next step will do as (sum-n) is odd. sum-N gives 8 which is equivalent to performing subtraction at step 4. Hence the sequence of steps is 1 2 3 -4 5 6 7.

Below is the illustration of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program to print the sequence
// of minimum steps in which N can be
// obtained from 0 using addition or
// subtraction of the step number.
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function to return the vector
// which stores the step sequence
vector<int> findSteps(int n)
{
    // Steps sequence
    vector<int> ans;
 
    // Current sum
    int sum = 0;
 
    // Sign of the number
    int sign = (n >= 0 ? 1 : -1);
    n = abs(n);
 
    int i;
    // Basic steps required to get sum >= required value.
    for (i = 1; sum < n; i++) {
        ans.push_back(sign * i);
        sum += i;
    }
    cout << i << endl;
 
    // Reached ahead of N
    if (sum > sign * n) {
 
        // If the last step was an odd number
        if (i % 2) {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) {
                ans.push_back(sign * i);
                sum += i++;
            }
            // subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] *= -1;
        }
        else {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) {
 
                // since addition of next step and subtraction
                // at the next step will give sum = sum-1
                sum--;
                ans.push_back(sign * i);
                ans.push_back(sign * -1 * (i + 1));
            }
            // subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] *= -1;
        }
    }
    // returns the vector
    return ans;
}
 
// Function to print the steps
void printSteps(int n)
{
    vector<int> v = findSteps(n);
 
    // prints the number of steps which is the size of vector
    cout << "Minimum number of Steps: " << v.size() << "\n";
 
    cout << "Step sequence:";
 
    // prints the steps stored
    // in the vector
    for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++)
        cout << v[i] << " ";
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    int n = 20;
    printSteps(n);
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to print the 
// sequence of minimum steps 
// in which N can be obtained 
// from 0 using addition or 
// subtraction of the step 
// number.
import java.util.*;
 
class GFG
{
 
// Function to return the
// Arraylist which stores 
// the step sequence
static ArrayList<Integer> findSteps(int n)
{
    // Steps sequence
    ArrayList<Integer> ans = new ArrayList<Integer>();
 
    // Current sum
    int sum = 0;
 
    // Sign of the number
    int sign = (n >= 0 ? 1 : -1);
    n = Math.abs(n);
 
    int i;
    // Basic steps required to
    // get sum >= required value.
    for (i = 1; sum < n; i++) 
    {
        ans.add(sign * i);
        sum += i;
    }
    System.out.println( i );
 
    // Reached ahead of N
    if (sum > sign * n) 
    {
 
        // If the last step 
        // was an odd number
        if (i % 2 != 0) 
        {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2 != 0) 
            {
                ans.add(sign * i);
                sum += i++;
            }
             
            // subtract the 
            // equivalent sum-n
            ans.set((sum / 2) - 1, 
            ans.get((sum / 2) - 1) * -1);
        }
        else
        {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2 != 0) 
            {
 
                // since addition of next 
                // step and subtraction at
                // the next step will
                // give sum = sum-1
                sum--;
                ans.add(sign * i);
                ans.add(sign * -1 * (i + 1));
            }
             
            // subtract the 
            // equivalent sum-n
            ans.set((sum / 2) - 1,
            ans.get((sum / 2) - 1) * -1);
        }
    }
     
    // returns the Arraylist
    return ans;
}
 
// Function to print the steps
static void printSteps(int n)
{
    ArrayList<Integer> v = findSteps(n);
 
    // prints the number of steps 
    // which is the size of Arraylist
    System.out.println("Minimum number " + 
                            "of Steps: " + 
                                v.size());
 
    System.out.print("Step sequence:");
 
    // prints the steps stored
    // in the Arraylist
    for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++)
        System.out.print(v.get(i) + " ");
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void main(String args[])
{
    int n = 20;
    printSteps(n);
}
}
// This code is contributed
// by Arnab Kundu

C#

// C# program to print the 
// sequence of minimum steps 
// in which N can be obtained 
// from 0 using addition or 
// subtraction of the step 
// number.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
 
class GFG
{
 
// Function to return the
// Arraylist which stores 
// the step sequence
static List<int> findSteps(int n)
{
    // Steps sequence
    List<int> ans = new List<int>();
 
    // Current sum
    int sum = 0;
 
    // Sign of the number
    int sign = (n >= 0 ? 1 : -1);
    n = Math.Abs(n);
 
    int i;
     
    // Basic steps required to
    // get sum >= required value.
    for (i = 1; sum < n; i++) 
    {
        ans.Add(sign * i);
        sum += i;
    }
    Console.WriteLine( i );
 
    // Reached ahead of N
    if (sum > sign * n) 
    {
 
        // If the last step 
        // was an odd number
        if (i % 2 != 0) 
        {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2 != 0) 
            {
                ans.Add(sign * i);
                sum += i++;
            }
             
            // subtract the 
            // equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1]= 
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] * -1;
        }
        else
        {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2 != 0) 
            {
 
                // since addition of next 
                // step and subtraction at
                // the next step will
                // give sum = sum-1
                sum--;
                ans.Add(sign * i);
                ans.Add(sign * -1 * (i + 1));
            }
             
            // subtract the 
            // equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1]=
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] * -1;
        }
    }
     
    // returns the Arraylist
    return ans;
}
 
// Function to print the steps
static void printSteps(int n)
{
    List<int> v = findSteps(n);
 
    // prints the number of steps 
    // which is the size of Arraylist
    Console.WriteLine("Minimum number " + 
                            "of Steps: " + 
                                v.Count);
 
    Console.Write("Step sequence:");
 
    // prints the steps stored
    // in the Arraylist
    for (int i = 0; i < v.Count; i++)
        Console.Write(v[i] + " ");
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void Main(String []args)
{
    int n = 20;
    printSteps(n);
}
}
 
// This code is contributed by Rajput-Ji

Javascript

<script>
 
// Javascript program to print the sequence
// of minimum steps in which N can be
// obtained from 0 using addition or
// subtraction of the step number.
 
// Function to return the vector
// which stores the step sequence
function findSteps(n)
{
    // Steps sequence
    var ans = [];
 
    // Current sum
    var sum = 0;
 
    // Sign of the number
    var sign = (n >= 0 ? 1 : -1);
    n = Math.abs(n);
 
    var i;
    // Basic steps required to get sum >= required value.
    for (i = 1; sum < n; i++) {
        ans.push(sign * i);
        sum += i;
    }
    document.write( i + "<br>");
 
    // Reached ahead of N
    if (sum > sign * n) {
 
        // If the last step was an odd number
        if (i % 2) {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) {
                ans.push(sign * i);
                sum += i++;
            }
            // subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] *= -1;
        }
        else {
            sum -= n;
 
            // sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) {
 
                // since addition of next step and subtraction
                // at the next step will give sum = sum-1
                sum--;
                ans.push(sign * i);
                ans.push(sign * -1 * (i + 1));
            }
            // subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[(sum / 2) - 1] *= -1;
        }
    }
    // returns the vector
    return ans;
}
 
// Function to print the steps
function printSteps(n)
{
    var v = findSteps(n);
 
    // prints the number of steps which is the size of vector
    document.write( "Minimum number of Steps: " + v.length + "<br>");
 
    document.write( "Step sequence:");
 
    // prints the steps stored
    // in the vector
    for (var i = 0; i < v.length; i++)
        document.write( v[i] + " ");
}
 
// Driver Code
var n = 20;
printSteps(n);
 
// This code is contributed by itsok.
</script>

Python3

# Python3  program to print  the sequence
# of minimum steps in which N can be
# obtained from 0 using addition or
# subtraction of the step number.
 
# Function to return the 
# which stores the step sequence
def findSteps( n):
    # Steps sequence
    ans=[]
 
    # Current sum
    sum = 0
 
    # Sign of the number
    sign = 1 if n >= 0 else -1
    n = abs(n)
    i=1
    # Basic steps required to get sum >= required value.
    while sum<n :
        ans.append(sign * i)
        sum += i
        i+=1
     
    print(i)
 
    # Reached ahead of N
    if (sum > sign * n) :
 
        # If the last step was an odd number
        if (i % 2) :
            sum -= n
 
            # sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) :
                ans.append(sign * i)
                sum += i
                i+=1
             
            # subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[int((sum / 2) - 1)] *= -1
         
        else :
            sum -= n
 
            # sum-n is odd
            if (sum % 2) :
 
                # since addition of next step and subtraction
                # at the next step will give sum = sum-1
                sum-=1
                ans.append(sign * i)
                ans.append(sign * -1 * (i + 1))
             
            # subtract the equivalent sum-n
            ans[int((sum / 2) - 1)] *= -1
         
     
    # returns the 
    return ans
 
 
# Function to pr the steps
def prSteps(n):
    v = findSteps(n)
 
    # print the number of steps which is the size of 
    print("Minimum number of Steps:",len(v))
 
    print("Step sequence:",end="")
 
    # print the steps stored
    # in the 
    for i in range(len(v)):
        print(v[i],end=" ")
 
 
# Driver Code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    n = 20
    prSteps(n)

Output :

7
Minimum number of Steps: 7
Step sequence:1 2 3 -4 5 6 7

Time Complexity : O(sqrt(N))
Auxiliary Space : O(sqrt(N))
Note: sum = i*(i+1)/2 is equivalent or greater than N, which gives i as sqrt(N).

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