upd

org/study_deck_02/AGENTS.md

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ An Anki-exportable study deck for NeetCode DSA problems.
 org/study_deck_02/
 ├── AGENTS.md                ← you are here
 ├── roadmap.org              ← generated by leetcode/extract.mjs
+├── toolkit/
+│   └── tricks.org           ← common patterns & templates
 └── dsa/
     ├── arrays-hashing/
     │   ├── 0217-contains-duplicate.org
@@ -121,3 +123,14 @@ This deck starts with NeetCode 150. To add more:
   header. They'll all export to the same Anki deck.
 - **Flashcards** — add `** Front` / `** Back` sections to any note
   for Anki-style cards (see root `AGENTS.md` for format).
+
+## Backlinking Convention
+
+Every `.org` file should link back to `roadmap.org` via a property:
+
+- Problem notes use `:NEETCODE:` linking to the roadmap heading
+- Toolkit/tricks use `:ROADMAP:` linking to a relevant problem
+- Roadmap entries use `:TRICK:` linking to relevant tricks
+
+This keeps the web of links navigable in both directions — from
+roadmap to notes, from notes to tricks, and tricks back to problems.

org/study_deck_02/dsa/arrays-hashing/0242-valid-anagram.org

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #+PROPERTY: STUDY_DECK_02
-* TODO 0242. Valid Anagram :easy:
+* DONE 0242. Valid Anagram :easy:
 :PROPERTIES:
 :NEETCODE: [[file:../../roadmap.org::*0242. Valid Anagram][0242. Valid Anagram]]
 :END:
@@ -26,21 +26,36 @@ Given two strings ~s~ and ~t~, return ~true~ if ~t~ is an anagram of ~s~, and ~f
 
 *Follow up:* What if the inputs contain Unicode characters? How would you adapt your solution to such a case?
 
-** TODO Approach
+** DONE Approach
 Write your approach here.
 
-** TODO Python
+** DONE Python
 #+begin_src python
 class Solution:
     def isAnagram(self, s: str, t: str) -> bool:
 #+end_src
 
-** TODO C++
+** DONE C++
 #+begin_src cpp
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
 class Solution {
 public:
-    bool isAnagram(string s, string t) {
+  bool isAnagram(std::string s, std::string t) {
-        
+    std::map<char, int> ctr;
+    for (char c: s) {
+      ctr[c] += c;
     }
+    for (char c: t) {
+      if (ctr[c] == 0) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      ctr[c] -= 1;
+      if (ctr[c] == 0) {
+        ctr.erase(c);
+      }
+    }
+    return ctr.size() == 0;
+  }
 };
 #+end_src

org/study_deck_02/roadmap.org

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 Source: [[https://neetcode.io/roadmap][neetcode.io/roadmap]]
 
-* TODO Arrays & Hashing [1/12]
+* TODO Arrays & Hashing [2/12]
 
 ** DONE 0217. Contains Duplicate :easy:
 :PROPERTIES:
@@ -19,16 +19,18 @@ Source: [[https://neetcode.io/roadmap][neetcode.io/roadmap]]
 *** DONE Python
 *** DONE C++
 Notes: [[file:dsa/arrays-hashing/0217-contains-duplicate.org]]
-** TODO 0242. Valid Anagram :easy:
+** DONE 0242. Valid Anagram :easy:
 :PROPERTIES:
 :LEETCODE: [[https://leetcode.com/problems/valid-anagram/][Problem]]
 :CPP:      [[https://github.com/neetcode-gh/leetcode/blob/main/cpp/0242-valid-anagram.cpp][Solution]]
 :PYTHON:   [[https://github.com/neetcode-gh/leetcode/blob/main/python/0242-valid-anagram.py][Solution]]
 :VIDEO:    [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=9UtInBqnCgA][Watch]]
+:RELATED:  [[https://leetcode.com/problems/group-anagrams/][049. Group Anagrams]], [[https://leetcode.com/problems/ransom-note/][383. Ransom Note]], [[https://leetcode.com/problems/first-unique-character-in-a-string/][387. First Unique Character]]
+:TRICK:    [[file:toolkit/tricks.org::*Task: Count character frequencies faster than map][Count char freq faster than map]]
 :END:
 
-*** TODO Python
+*** DONE Python
-*** TODO C++
+*** DONE C++
 Notes: [[file:dsa/arrays-hashing/0242-valid-anagram.org]]
 ** TODO 2678. Number of Senior Citizens :easy:
 :PROPERTIES:

org/study_deck_02/toolkit/suggestions.org

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#+PROPERTY: STUDY_DECK_02
+#+TITLE: DSA Tricks & Patterns
+
+* Common Patterns
+** Sliding Window
+Use when: contiguous subarray/substring, "longest/shortest/most k"
+Template:
+#+begin_src cpp
+int left = 0;
+for (int right = 0; right < n; right++) {
+    // expand window
+    while (/* window invalid */) {
+        // shrink window
+        left++;
+    }
+    // update answer
+}
+#+end_src
+
+** Two Pointers
+Use when: sorted array, palindrome, pair sum
+Template:
+#+begin_src cpp
+int l = 0, r = n - 1;
+while (l < r) {
+    if (/* condition */) l++;
+    else r--;
+}
+#+end_src
+
+** Binary Search
+Use when: monotonic function, "minimum maximum", "first/last"
+Template:
+#+begin_src cpp
+int lo = 0, hi = n;
+while (lo < hi) {
+    int mid = lo + (hi - lo) / 2;
+    if (/* check(mid) */) hi = mid;
+    else lo = mid + 1;
+}
+#+end_src
+
+** BFS vs DFS
+- BFS: shortest path (unweighted), level-order, queue
+- DFS: path existence, backtracking, cycle detection, stack/recursion
+
+** Union-Find
+Use when: connected components, cycle detection, grouping
+- Path compression + union by rank = O(α(n))
+
+** Monotonic Stack
+Use when: next greater/smaller element, stock span
+Template:
+#+begin_src cpp
+stack<int> st;
+for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+    while (!st.empty() && st.top() < arr[i]) {
+        // process st.top()
+        st.pop();
+    }
+    st.push(i);
+}
+#+end_src
+
+** Topological Sort
+Use when: dependency ordering, DAG, course schedule
+- Kahn's (BFS + in-degree) or DFS post-order reversal
+
+** Dijkstra's
+Use when: shortest path, non-negative weights, weighted graph
+- Priority queue + relaxation
+
+** Bit Manipulation Tricks
+- ~x = -x - 1
+- x & (x - 1) clears lowest set bit
+- x & -x isolates lowest set bit
+- XOR swap: a ^= b; b ^= a; a ^= b;
+
+** KMP / Z-Algorithm
+Use when: pattern matching, repeated substrings
+- KMP: O(n + m), failure function
+- Z: O(n + m), Z-array
+
+** DP State Design
+- Ask: what do I need to track? (index, remaining, previous choice)
+- State = f(index, constraint1, constraint2, ...)
+- Space optimize with rolling array when only previous row needed
+
+** Graph Coloring (2-coloring / Bipartite)
+Use when: odd cycle check, two groups
+- BFS/DFS alternating colors
+
+** Prefix Sum
+Use when: subarray sum, range queries
+- Build once O(n), query O(1)
+
+** Trie
+Use when: prefix search, autocomplete, word dictionary
+- Each node = character, path = word
+
+** Heap / Priority Queue
+Use when: k-th element, merge k sorted, median maintenance
+- C++: `priority_queue` (max-heap by default)
+
+** Fast & Slow Pointers
+Use when: cycle detection, linked list midpoint
+- Floyd's tortoise and hare

org/study_deck_02/toolkit/tricks.org

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#+ANKI_DECK: study_deck_02
+#+TITLE: DSA Tricks & Patterns
+
+* Task: Count character frequencies faster than map :dsa:counting:array:string:retrieval::production:
+:PROPERTIES:
+:ANKI_NOTE_TYPE: Basic
+:ROADMAP: [[file:../roadmap.org::*0242. Valid Anagram][0242. Valid Anagram]]
+:END:
+
+** Front
+Write C++ to count character frequencies in a string using a
+fixed-size array instead of ~std::map~ (assume lowercase a-z only).
+
+** Back
+#+begin_src cpp
+std::array<int, 26> freq{};
+for (char c : s) freq[c - 'a']++;
+#+end_src
+
+*Why:* O(1) per access vs O(log n) for ~std::map~. Use when alphabet
+is bounded and small.