Day 6

Part 1

Read in input file

with open("day6/input.txt") as f:
    input = f.read()

First 100 lines of input looks like this:

bgdbdsbsbsttldddzzwnzzmpzmmzmqqcgglrglgbbbtmtddrssjtjqqtrtqtqppcvcddswdwbwlblfljfljlhhpchcfcgfcfwfll

sample = "mjqjpqmgbljsphdztnvjfqwrcgsmlb"

Create a function that detects the start of the packet

def marker_count(input):
    window = []
    for i,o in enumerate(input):
        window.insert(0,o)
        if len(window) > 4:
            window.pop()
        if len(set(window)) == 4: 
            return i + 1
    return None

print(marker_count(sample))

print(f'the correct answer for part 1 is {marker_count(input)}')

the correct answer for part 1 is 1794

Part 2

sample2 = "mjqjpqmgbljsphdztnvjfqwrcgsmlb"

Modify the marker to count 14 instead of 4

def marker_count2(input):
    window = []
    for i,o in enumerate(input):
        window.insert(0,o)
        if len(window) > 14:
            window.pop()
        if len(set(window)) == 14: 
            return i + 1
    return None

print(marker_count2(sample2))

print(f'the correct answer for part 2 is {marker_count2(input)}')

the correct answer for part 2 is 2851

print(f'the correct answer for part 1 is')

the correct answer for part 1 is