DistinctGrid | Topcoder Archive

Problem Statement

Given the integers n, k, construct an n by n grid of integers where each row and column has at most k distinct integers. The returned grid must have the maximum number of distinct integers.

Return your answer as a int[] with exactly n * n elements. Element i*n+j of your return value denotes the value of the integer in the i-th row and j-th column of the grid.

If there are multiple optimal solutions, you may return any of them. The integers in your solution can be arbitrary, as long as they fit into a signed 32-bit integer variable.

Definition

Class:: DistinctGrid
Method:: findGrid
Parameters:: int, int
Returns:: int[]
Method signature:: int[] findGrid(int n, int k)
(be sure your method is public)

Constraints

n will be between 3 and 50, inclusive.
k will be between 1 and n/2, inclusive.

Examples

```
3
```
```
1
```
```
Returns: {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
```
The returned value shown above represents the following grid: { 0,0,0, 0,0,0, 0,0,0 }
```
6
```
```
3
```
```
Returns: {1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 3, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 5, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 8, 0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0, 10, 0, 11, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12 }
```
The returned value shown above represents the following grid: { 1,0,0,0,0,2, 0,3,0,0,4,0, 0,0,5,6,0,0, 0,0,7,8,0,0, 0,9,0,0,10,0, 11,0,0,0,0,12 }
```
4
```
```
2
```
```
Returns: {123, 999, 999, 999, 999, 999, 999, 456, 999, 789, 999, 999, 999, 999, 240, 999 }
```
The returned value shown above represents the following grid: { 123,999,999,999, 999,999,999,456, 999,789,999,999, 999,999,240,999 };

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