Updating approaches for Change after feedback

Author: jagdish-15

exercises/practice/change/.approaches/dynamic-programming/content.md

@@ -42,12 +42,11 @@ class ChangeCalculator {
 The **Dynamic Programming (DP)** approach is an efficient way to solve the problem of making change for a given total using a list of available coin denominations.
 It minimizes the number of coins needed by breaking down the problem into smaller subproblems and solving them progressively.
 
-This approach ensures that we find the most efficient way to make change and handles edge cases where no solution exists.
-
 ## Explanation
 
 1. **Initialize Coins Usage Tracker**:
 
+   - If the `grandTotal` is negative, an exception is thrown immediately. 
    - We create a list `coinsUsed`, where each index `i` stores the most efficient combination of coins that sum up to the value `i`.
    - The list is initialized with an empty list at index `0`, as no coins are needed to achieve a total of zero.
 
@@ -62,18 +61,7 @@ This approach ensures that we find the most efficient way to make change and han
    - After processing all values up to `grandTotal`, the combination at `coinsUsed[grandTotal]` will represent the most efficient solution.
    - If no valid combination exists for `grandTotal`, an exception is thrown.
 
-## Key Points
 
 - **Time Complexity**: The time complexity of this approach is **O(n * m)**, where `n` is the `grandTotal` and `m` is the number of available coin denominations. This is because we iterate over all coin denominations for each amount up to `grandTotal`.
 
 - **Space Complexity**: The space complexity is **O(n)** due to the list `coinsUsed`, which stores the most efficient coin combination for each total up to `grandTotal`.
-
-- **Edge Cases**:
-
-  - If the `grandTotal` is negative, an exception is thrown immediately.
-  - If there is no way to make the exact total with the given denominations, an exception is thrown with a descriptive message.
-
-## Conclusion
-
-The dynamic programming approach provides an optimal solution for the change-making problem, ensuring that we minimize the number of coins used while efficiently solving the problem for any `grandTotal`.
-However, it’s essential to consider the trade-offs in terms of memory usage and the time complexity when dealing with very large inputs.

exercises/practice/change/.approaches/introduction.md

@@ -10,16 +10,44 @@ The solution needs to figure out which totals can be achieved and how to combine
 
 ## Approach: Dynamic Programming
 
-Our solution uses a **dynamic programming approach**, where we systematically build up the optimal combinations for all totals from `0` up to the target amount (`grandTotal`).
-For each total, we track the fewest coins needed to make that total, reusing previous results to make the solution efficient.
-
-This approach ensures that we find the minimum number of coins required in a structured, repeatable way, avoiding the need for complex recursive calls or excessive backtracking.
-
-## Key Features of the Approach
-
-- **Efficiency**: By building solutions for each increment up to `grandTotal`, this approach minimizes redundant calculations.
-- **Flexibility**: Handles cases where exact change is impossible by checking at each step.
-- **Scalability**: Works for various coin denominations and totals, though large inputs may impact performance.
+```java
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+class ChangeCalculator {
+    private final List<Integer> currencyCoins;
+
+    ChangeCalculator(List<Integer> currencyCoins) {
+        this.currencyCoins = currencyCoins;
+    }
+
+    List<Integer> computeMostEfficientChange(int grandTotal) {
+        if (grandTotal < 0) 
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Negative totals are not allowed.");
+
+        List<List<Integer>> coinsUsed = new ArrayList<>(grandTotal + 1);
+        coinsUsed.add(new ArrayList<Integer>());
+
+        for (int i = 1; i <= grandTotal; i++) {
+            List<Integer> bestCombination = null;
+            for (int coin: currencyCoins) {
+                if (coin <= i && coinsUsed.get(i - coin) != null) {
+                    List<Integer> currentCombination = new ArrayList<>(coinsUsed.get(i - coin));
+                    currentCombination.add(0, coin);
+                    if (bestCombination == null || currentCombination.size() < bestCombination.size())
+                        bestCombination = currentCombination;
+                }
+            }
+            coinsUsed.add(bestCombination);
+        }
+
+        if (coinsUsed.get(grandTotal) == null)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("The total " + grandTotal + " cannot be represented in the given currency.");
+
+        return coinsUsed.get(grandTotal);
+    }
+}
+```
 
 For a detailed look at the code and logic, see the full explanation in the [Dynamic Programming Approach][approach-dynamic-programming].