PathWithMinimumEffort.java

class Solution {
    public static int MinimumEffort(int rows, int columns, int[][] heights) {
        int[][] effort = new int[rows][columns];
        for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++) {
            Arrays.fill(effort[i], Integer.MAX_VALUE);
        }
        
        PriorityQueue<int[]> pq = new PriorityQueue<>((a, b) -> a[2] - b[2]);
        pq.offer(new int[]{0, 0, 0}); // (row, col, effort)
        
        int[][] directions = {{0, 1}, {1, 0}, {0, -1}, {-1, 0}};
        
        while (!pq.isEmpty()) {
            int[] curr = pq.poll();
            int row = curr[0];
            int col = curr[1];
            int currEffort = curr[2];
            
            if (row == rows - 1 && col == columns - 1)
                return currEffort;
            
            for (int[] dir : directions) {
                int newRow = row + dir[0];
                int newCol = col + dir[1];
                if (newRow >= 0 && newRow < rows && newCol >= 0 && newCol < columns) {
                    int newEffort = Math.max(currEffort, Math.abs(heights[newRow][newCol] - heights[row][col]));
                    if (newEffort < effort[newRow][newCol]) {
                        effort[newRow][newCol] = newEffort;
                        pq.offer(new int[]{newRow, newCol, newEffort});
                    }
                }
            }
        }
      return -1; // Unreachable
    }
}