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2598. Shortest Distance to Target String in a Circular Array

My accepted Python solution to LeetCode problem 2598, Shortest Distance to Target String in a Circular Array, running in 0ms.

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Python
  • Runtime 0ms
  • Memory 17.3MB

Read the problem on LeetCode View on GitHub

The problem statement is LeetCode’s and stays on their site. What follows is my accepted solution.

Python

Accepted on LeetCode — runtime 0ms, memory 17.3MB, accepted 2026-01-01.

python
class Solution:
    def closetTarget(self, words: List[str], target: str, startIndex: int) -> int:
        n = len(words)
        if target not in words:
            return -1
        
        min_dist = float('inf')
        for i in range(n):
            if words[i] == target:
                forward = (i - startIndex) % n
                backward = (startIndex - i) % n
                min_dist = min(min_dist, forward, backward)
        
        return min_dist
    
    def closestTarget(self, words: List[str], target: str, startIndex: int) -> int:
        return self.closetTarget(words, target, startIndex)

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