# Shortest Common Super Sequence

Dynamic ProgrammingData StructureAlgorithms

Shortest common super-sequence is a sequence where each element of both of the given sequences is present. In other words, we can say that the given two strings, both are sub-sequence of Shortest Common Super-Sequence.

When there are no common characters in two strings, then we can simply concatenate them to get Super-sequence. But when they have some common characters, then firstly we have to find the longest string, then add extra characters of the other string.

## Input and Output

Input:
Two strings. “ABCDEF” and “XYDEF”
Output:
The length of the shortest common super-sequence.
Here the super-sequence is “ABCDEFXY”. So the length is 8.

## Algorithm

superSeq(str1, str2)

Input: Two strings str1 and str2.

Output: Find length of super sequence.

Begin
m := length of str1
n := length of str2
define table named seqTab of size (m+1 x n+1)

for i := 0 to m, do
for j := 0 to n, do
if i = 0, then
seqTab[i, j] := j
else if j = 0, then
seqTab[i, j] := i
else if str1[i-1] = str2[j-1], then
seqTab[i, j] := 1 + seqTab[i-1, j-1]
else
seqTab[i, j] := 1 + minimum of seqTab[i-1, j] and seqTab[i, j-1]
done
done
return seqTab[m, n]
End



## Example

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

int min(int a, int b) {
return (a<b)?a:b;
}

int superSeq(string str1, string str2) {
int m = str1.size();
int n = str2.size();

int supSeqTable[m+1][n+1];

for (int i = 0; i <= m; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j <= n; j++) {
if (!i)
supSeqTable[i][j] = j;              //shortest supersequence length is j
else if (!j)
supSeqTable[i][j] = i;                //shortest supersequence length is i
else if (str1[i-1] == str2[j-1])
supSeqTable[i][j] = 1 + supSeqTable[i-1][j-1];
else
supSeqTable[i][j] = 1 + min(supSeqTable[i-1][j], supSeqTable[i][j-1]);
}
}
return supSeqTable[m][n];
}

int main() {
string first = "ABCDEF";
string second = "XYDEF";
cout << "Length of the shortest supersequence is " << superSeq(first, second);
}

## Output

Length of the shortest supersequence is 8
Published on 11-Jul-2018 12:04:51