# 684 Redundant Connection

In this problem, a tree is an**undirected**graph that is connected and has no cycles.

The given input is a graph that started as a tree with N nodes (with distinct values 1, 2, ..., N), with one additional edge added. The added edge has two different vertices chosen from 1 to N, and was not an edge that already existed.

The resulting graph is given as a 2D-array of`edges`. Each element of`edges`is a pair`[u, v]`with`u < v`, that represents an**undirected**edge connecting nodes`u`and`v`.

Return an edge that can be removed so that the resulting graph is a tree of N nodes. If there are multiple answers, return the answer that occurs last in the given 2D-array. The answer edge`[u, v]`should be in the same format, with`u < v`.

**Example 1:**

```
Input:
 [[1,2], [1,3], [2,3]]

Output:
 [2,3]

Explanation:
 The given undirected graph will be like this:
  1
 / \
2 - 3
```

**Example 2:**

```
Input:
 [[1,2], [2,3], [3,4], [1,4], [1,5]]

Output:
 [1,4]

Explanation:
 The given undirected graph will be like this:
5 - 1 - 2
    |   |
    4 - 3
```

**Note:**

The size of the input 2D-array will be between 3 and 1000.

Every integer represented in the 2D-array will be between 1 and N, where N is the size of the input array.

**The Idea:** This is a disjoint set problem, which is essentially used for the purpose of identifying a cycle in an undirected graph. What we do is continuously perform a union on each `(i,j)` if both `i` and `j` are already not in the same union. If they are, they are the cause of the cycle.

**Complexity:** O(n) (bounded by Inverse Ackermann)

```cpp
struct Node {
    Node(const int id) : id(id), parent(this), depth(0) {};
    int depth;
    const int id;
    Node *parent;
};

class DisjointSet {
public:

    DisjointSet(const int ids) : num_ids(ids) {
        init_find.reserve(ids);
        for (int i = 1; i <= ids; i++)
            make_set(i);
    }

    int find(const int x) {
        if (init_find.find(x) == init_find.end()) return -1;
        else return _find(x);
    }

    void union_(const int x, const int y) {
        int x_parent = find(x);
        int y_parent = find(y);
        if (init_find[y_parent]->depth <= init_find[x_parent]->depth)
            init_find[y_parent]->parent = init_find[x_parent]->parent;

        else if (init_find[y_parent]->depth > init_find[x_parent]->depth)
            init_find[x_parent]->parent = init_find[y_parent]->parent;

        if (init_find[y_parent]->depth == init_find[x_parent]->depth)
            init_find[x_parent]->depth++;
    }

private:
    const size_t num_ids;

    void make_set(const int x) {
        if (init_find.find(x) != init_find.end()) return;
        else init_find.insert({ x, new Node(x) });
    }

    int _find(const int x) {
        Node *iter = init_find[x]->parent;

        if (iter->id == iter->parent->id) {
            return iter->id;
        }
        else {
            // path compression
            while (iter->id != iter->parent->id)
                iter = iter->parent;
            init_find[x]->parent = init_find[iter->id];
            return iter->id;
        }
    }

    unordered_map<int, Node*> init_find;
};

class Solution {
public:
    vector<int> findRedundantConnection(vector<vector<int>>& edges) {
        DisjointSet ds(edges.size());
        for (vector<int> &v : edges) {
            int a_find = ds.find(v[0]);
            int b_find = ds.find(v[1]);
            if (a_find == b_find) {
                return v;
            }
            else {
                ds.union_(v[0], v[1]);
            }
        }
    }
};
```


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://maksimdan.gitbook.io/interview-practice-problems/leetcode_sessions/684-redundant-connection.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
