scrabble

Scrabble

In this puzzle, the objective is to find a word from a dictionary that will yield the highest score in the game of Scrabble. To solve this problem efficiently, the puzzle requires the use of nested loops and the combination of multiple associative arrays (also known as hash tables).

To solve the puzzle, the following concepts can be practiced and improved:

1. Loops: Using loops, such as for loops or while loops, to iterate over the given data structures or perform repetitive tasks.

2. Conditions: Applying conditional statements, such as if-else statements or switch cases, to evaluate certain conditions and make decisions based on them.

The solution to the puzzle heavily relies on the effective utilization of associative arrays or hash tables. These data structures can be used to store and retrieve key-value pairs efficiently. Associative arrays are often a crucial choice when solving puzzles, as they enable the implementation of optimized algorithms.

By combining the concepts of loops, conditions, and associative arrays, you can create an efficient solution to find the word with the highest score in Scrabble.

Example Solution

from collections import Counter
from typing import Dict
from typing import List
from typing import Optional


def calculate_score(word: str, LETTER_POINTS: Dict[str, int]) -> int:
    score = 0
    for letter in word:
        score += LETTER_POINTS.get(letter, 0)
    return score


def find_max_score_word(dictionary: List[str], letters: str, LETTER_POINTS: Dict[str, int]) -> Optional[str]:
    max_score = 0
    max_score_word = None

    for word in dictionary:
        # Check if the word can be formed using the available letters
        letters_counter = Counter(letters)
        word_counter = Counter(word)
        if all(letters_counter[letter] >= count for letter, count in word_counter.items()):
            score = calculate_score(word, LETTER_POINTS)
            if score > max_score:
                max_score = score
                max_score_word = word

    return max_score_word


LETTER_POINTS = {
    'e': 1, 'a': 1, 'i': 1, 'o': 1, 'n': 1, 'r': 1, 't': 1, 'l': 1, 's': 1, 'u': 1,
    'd': 2, 'g': 2,
    'b': 3, 'c': 3, 'm': 3, 'p': 3,
    'f': 4, 'h': 4, 'v': 4, 'w': 4, 'y': 4,
    'k': 5,
    'j': 8, 'x': 8,
    'q': 10, 'z': 10,
}


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Input
    N = int(input())
    dictionary = [input() for _ in range(N)]
    letters = input()

    # Output
    result = find_max_score_word(dictionary, letters, LETTER_POINTS)
    print(result)