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Lexicographic rank of a string among all its substrings

Last Updated : 15 Jul, 2025
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Given string str, the task is to find the rank of the given string among all its substrings arranged lexicographically.

Examples:

Input: S = "enren"
Output: 7
Explanation:
All the possible substrings in the sorted order are {"e", "e", "en", "en", "enr", "enre", "enren", "n", "n", "nr", "nre", "nren", "r", "re", "ren"}.
Therefore, the rank of the given string "enren" is 7.

Input: S = "geeks"
Output: 12
Explanation:
All possible substrings in the sorted order are {"e", "e", "ee", "eek", "eeks", "ek", "eks", "g", "ge", "gee", "geek", "geeks", "k", "ks", "s"}.
Therefore, the rank of the given string "geeks" is 12.

Approach: Follow the steps below to solve the problem:

  1. Initialize an array arr[] of vectors of length 26 to store the indices of the characters present in the string and rank as 0.
  2. Store the indices of each character. Indices of a will be stored in arr[0], for b, arr[1] will store all its indices, and so on.
  3. Traverse each index stored in the array arr[] up to the characters which are smaller than the first character of the string S.
  4. For each index i, total substrings starting from that index is N - i. Add N - i to rank as all characters with these indices are smaller.
  5. Now, after traversing, store all the substrings starting from the first character of S and sort those substrings in lexicographical order.
  6. Traverse the sorted substrings and compare each substring with the string S and increment the rank until substring equals to S is found.
  7. Print the value of rank + 1 to get the rank of the given string.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++
// C++ program for the above approach

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// Function to find lexicographic rank
// of string among all its substring
int lexicographicRank(string s)
{
    // Length of string
    int n = s.length();

    vector<int> alphaIndex[26];

    // Traverse the given string
    // and store the indices of
    // each character
    for (int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {

        // Extract the index
        int x = s[i] - 'a';

        // Store it in the vector
        alphaIndex[x].push_back(i);
    }

    // Traverse the alphaIndex array
    // lesser than the index of first
    // character of given string
    int rank = 0;

    for (int i = 0; i < 26
                    && 'a' + i < s[0];
         i++) {

        // If alphaIndex[i] size exceeds 0
        if (alphaIndex[i].size() > 0) {

            // Traverse over the indices
            for (int j = 0;
                 j < alphaIndex[i].size(); j++) {

                // Add count of substring
                // equal to n - alphaIndex[i][j]
                rank = rank
                       + (n
                          - alphaIndex[i][j]);
            }
        }
    }

    vector<string> str;

    for (int i = 0;
         i < alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'].size();
         i++) {

        // Store all substrings in a vector
        // str starting with the first
        // character of the given string
        string substring;

        int j = alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'][i];

        for (; j < n; j++) {

            // Insert the current
            // character to substring
            substring.push_back(s[j]);

            // Store the substring formed
            str.push_back(substring);
        }
    }

    // Sort the substring in the
    // lexicographical order
    sort(str.begin(), str.end());

    // Find the rank of given string
    for (int i = 0; i < str.size(); i++) {

        if (str[i] != s) {

            // increase the rank until
            // the given string is same
            rank++;
        }

        // If substring is same as
        // the given string
        else {
            break;
        }
    }

    // Add 1 to rank of
    // the given string
    return rank + 1;
}

// Driver Code
int main()
{
    // Given string
    string str = "enren";

    // Function Call
    cout << lexicographicRank(str);

    return 0;
}
Java
// Java program for 
// the above approach
import java.util.*;
class GFG{

// Function to find lexicographic rank
// of String among all its subString
static int lexicographicRank(char []s)
{
  // Length of String
  int n = s.length;

  Vector<Integer> []alphaIndex = new Vector[26];
  for (int i = 0; i < alphaIndex.length; i++)
    alphaIndex[i] = new Vector<Integer>();
  
  // Traverse the given String
  // and store the indices of
  // each character
  for (int i = 0; i < s.length; i++) 
  {
    // Extract the index
    int x = s[i] - 'a';

    // Store it in the vector
    alphaIndex[x].add(i);
  }

  // Traverse the alphaIndex array
  // lesser than the index of first
  // character of given String
  int rank = 0;

  for (int i = 0; i < 26 && 
           'a' + i < s[0]; i++) 
  {
    // If alphaIndex[i] size exceeds 0
    if (alphaIndex[i].size() > 0) 
    {
      // Traverse over the indices
      for (int j = 0;
               j < alphaIndex[i].size(); 
               j++) 
      {
        // Add count of subString
        // equal to n - alphaIndex[i][j]
        rank = rank + (n - alphaIndex[i].get(j));
      }
    }
  }

  Vector<String> str = new Vector<String>();

  for (int i = 0;
           i < alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'].size();
           i++) 
  {
    // Store all subStrings in a vector
    // str starting with the first
    // character of the given String
    String subString = "";

    int j = alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'].get(i);

    for (; j < n; j++) 
    {
      // Insert the current
      // character to subString
      subString += (s[j]);

      // Store the subString formed
      str.add(subString);
    }
  }

  // Sort the subString in the
  // lexicographical order
  Collections.sort(str);

  // Find the rank of given String
  for (int i = 0; i < str.size(); i++) 
  {
    if (!str.get(i).equals(String.valueOf(s))) 
    {
      // increase the rank until
      // the given String is same
      rank++;
    }

    // If subString is same as
    // the given String
    else 
    {
      break;
    }
  }

  // Add 1 to rank of
  // the given String
  return rank + 1;
}

// Driver Code
public static void main(String[] args)
{
  // Given String
  String str = "enren";

  // Function Call
  System.out.print(lexicographicRank(str.toCharArray()));
}
}

// This code is contributed by shikhasingrajput 
Python3
# Python3 program for the above approach

# Function to find lexicographic rank
# of among all its substring
def lexicographicRank(s):
    
    # Length of string
    n = len(s)

    alphaIndex = [[] for i in range(26)]

    # Traverse the given string
    # and store the indices of
    # each character
    for i in range(len(s)):

        # Extract the index
        x = ord(s[i]) - ord('a')

        # Store it in the vector
        alphaIndex[x].append(i)

    # Traverse the alphaIndex array
    # lesser than the index of first
    # character of given string
    rank = -1

    for i in range(26):
        if ord('a') + i >= ord(s[0]):
            break

        # If alphaIndex[i] size exceeds 0
        if len(alphaIndex[i]) > 0:

            # Traverse over the indices
            for j in range(len(alphaIndex[i])):

                # Add count of substring
                # equal to n - alphaIndex[i][j]
                rank = rank + (n - alphaIndex[i][j])
                
    # print(rank)
    strr = []

    for i in range(len(alphaIndex[ord(s[0]) - ord('a')])):

        # Store all substrings in a vector
        # strr starting with the first
        # character of the given string
        substring = []

        jj = alphaIndex[ord(s[0]) - ord('a')][i]

        for j in range(jj, n):

            # Insert the current
            # character to substring
            substring.append(s[j])

            # Store the subformed
            strr.append(substring)

    # Sort the substring in the
    # lexicographical order
    strr = sorted(strr)

    # Find the rank of given string
    for i in range(len(strr)):
        if (strr[i] != s):

            # Increase the rank until
            # the given is same
            rank += 1

        # If substring is same as
        # the given string
        else:
            break

    # Add 1 to rank of
    # the given string
    return rank + 1

# Driver Code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    
    # Given string
    strr = "enren"

    # Function call
    print(lexicographicRank(strr))

# This code is contributed by mohit kumar 29
C#
// C# program for 
// the above approach
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
class GFG{

// Function to find lexicographic rank
// of String among all its subString
static int lexicographicRank(char []s)
{
  // Length of String
  int n = s.Length;

  List<int> []alphaIndex = new List<int>[26];
  for (int i = 0; i < alphaIndex.Length; i++)
    alphaIndex[i] = new List<int>();

  // Traverse the given String
  // and store the indices of
  // each character
  for (int i = 0; i < s.Length; i++) 
  {
    // Extract the index
    int x = s[i] - 'a';

    // Store it in the vector
    alphaIndex[x].Add(i);
  }

  // Traverse the alphaIndex array
  // lesser than the index of first
  // character of given String
  int rank = 0;

  for (int i = 0; i < 26 && 
           'a' + i < s[0]; i++) 
  {
    // If alphaIndex[i] size exceeds 0
    if (alphaIndex[i].Count > 0) 
    {
      // Traverse over the indices
      for (int j = 0;
               j < alphaIndex[i].Count; j++) 
      {
        // Add count of subString
        // equal to n - alphaIndex[i,j]
        rank = rank + (n - alphaIndex[i][j]);
      }
    }
  }

  List<String> str = new List<String>();

  for (int i = 0;
           i < alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'].Count; i++) 
  {
    // Store all subStrings in a vector
    // str starting with the first
    // character of the given String
    String subString = "";

    int j = alphaIndex[s[0] - 'a'][i];

    for (; j < n; j++) 
    {
      // Insert the current
      // character to subString
      subString += (s[j]);

      // Store the subString formed
      str.Add(subString);
    }
  }

  // Sort the subString in the
  // lexicographical order
  str.Sort();

  // Find the rank of given String
  for (int i = 0; i < str.Count; i++) 
  {
    if (!str[i].Equals(String.Join("", s))) 
    {
      // increase the rank until
      // the given String is same
      rank++;
    }

    // If subString is same as
    // the given String
    else 
    {
      break;
    }
  }

  // Add 1 to rank of
  // the given String
  return rank + 1;
}

// Driver Code
public static void Main(String[] args)
{
  // Given String
  String str = "enren";

  // Function Call
  Console.Write(lexicographicRank(str.ToCharArray()));
}
}

// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar 
JavaScript
<script>


// JavaScript program for the above approach

// Function to find lexicographic rank
// of string among all its substring
function lexicographicRank(s)
{
    // Length of string
    var n = s.length;

    var alphaIndex = Array.from(Array(26), 
    ()=>new Array());

    // Traverse the given string
    // and store the indices of
    // each character
    for (var i = 0; i < s.length; i++) {

        // Extract the index
        var x = s[i].charCodeAt(0) - 
               'a'.charCodeAt(0);

        // Store it in the vector
        alphaIndex[x].push(i);
    }

    // Traverse the alphaIndex array
    // lesser than the index of first
    // character of given string
    var rank = 0;

    for (var i = 0; i < 26
         && 'a'.charCodeAt(0) + 
         i < s[0].charCodeAt(0);
         i++) {

        // If alphaIndex[i] size exceeds 0
        if (alphaIndex[i].length > 0) {

            // Traverse over the indices
            for (var j = 0;
                 j < alphaIndex[i].length; j++) {

                // Add count of substring
                // equal to n - alphaIndex[i][j]
                rank = rank
                       + (n
                          - alphaIndex[i][j]);
            }
        }
    }

    var str = [];

    for (var i = 0;
         i < alphaIndex[s[0].charCodeAt(0) - 
         'a'.charCodeAt(0)].length;
         i++) {

        // Store all substrings in a vector
        // str starting with the first
        // character of the given string
        var substring = "";

        var j = alphaIndex[s[0].charCodeAt(0) - 
        'a'.charCodeAt(0)][i];

        for (; j < n; j++) {

            // Insert the current
            // character to substring
            substring+=(s[j]);

            // Store the substring formed
            str.push(substring);
        }
    }

    // Sort the substring in the
    // lexicographical order
    str.sort();

    // Find the rank of given string
    for (var i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {

        if (str[i] != s) {

            // increase the rank until
            // the given string is same
            rank++;
        }

        // If substring is same as
        // the given string
        else {
            break;
        }
    }

    // Add 1 to rank of
    // the given string
    return rank + 1;
}

// Driver Code

// Given string
var str = "enren";

// Function Call
document.write( lexicographicRank(str));


</script> 

Output: 
7

Time Complexity: O(N3)
Auxiliary Space: O(N)


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