SilverDistance | Topcoder Archive

Problem Statement

In Japanese Chess, there is a piece called Silver. A Silver piece located in cell (x,y) can move to any of the following cells in one step: (x-1,y+1), (x,y+1), (x+1,y+1), (x-1,y-1), (x+1,y-1). In other words, it can move one cell in any of the four diagonal directions, or it can move one cell vertically in the positive y direction.

Initially, there's a Silver piece in cell (sx,sy) of an infinitely large board. Return the minimal number of steps required to move to cell (gx,gy).

Definition

Class:: SilverDistance
Method:: minSteps
Parameters:: int, int, int, int
Returns:: int
Method signature:: int minSteps(int sx, int sy, int gx, int gy)
(be sure your method is public)

Constraints

sx, sy, gx and gy will each be between -1,000,000 and 1,000,000 inclusive.

Examples

```
1
```
```
0
```
```
1
```
```
9
```
```
Returns: 9
```
Move up vertically in the positive y direction 9 times.
```
0
```
```
0
```
```
-4
```
```
3
```
```
Returns: 5
```
Follow the path : (0,0) -> (-1,1) -> (-1,2) -> (-2,3) -> (-3,2) -> (-4,3)
```
0
```
```
0
```
```
5
```
```
8
```
```
Returns: 8
```
Move up vertically in the postive y direction 3 times, then move diagonally up and to the right 5 times.

-487617

-918045

Returns: 1744571

```
-27857
```
```
31475
```
```
-27857
```
```
31475
```
```
Returns: 0
```
The Silver is already in the goal.

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