> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/solutions/0499-the-maze-iii.md).

# 0499. The Maze III

<https://leetcode.com/problems/the-maze-iii>

## Description

There is a ball in a `maze` with empty spaces (represented as `0`) and walls (represented as `1`). The ball can go through the empty spaces by rolling **up, down, left or right**, but it won't stop rolling until hitting a wall. When the ball stops, it could choose the next direction. There is also a hole in this maze. The ball will drop into the hole if it rolls onto the hole.

Given the `m x n` `maze`, the ball's position `ball` and the hole's position `hole`, where `ball = [ballrow, ballcol]` and `hole = [holerow, holecol]`, return *a string* `instructions` *of all the instructions that the ball should follow to drop in the hole with the **shortest distance** possible*. If there are multiple valid instructions, return the **lexicographically minimum** one. If the ball can't drop in the hole, return `"impossible"`.

If there is a way for the ball to drop in the hole, the answer `instructions` should contain the characters `'u'` (i.e., up), `'d'` (i.e., down), `'l'` (i.e., left), and `'r'` (i.e., right).

The **distance** is the number of **empty spaces** traveled by the ball from the start position (excluded) to the destination (included).

You may assume that **the borders of the maze are all walls** (see examples).

**Example 1:**

![](https://assets.leetcode.com/uploads/2021/03/31/maze3-1-grid.jpg)

```
**Input:** maze = [[0,0,0,0,0],[1,1,0,0,1],[0,0,0,0,0],[0,1,0,0,1],[0,1,0,0,0]], ball = [4,3], hole = [0,1]
**Output:** "lul"
**Explanation:** There are two shortest ways for the ball to drop into the hole.
The first way is left -> up -> left, represented by "lul".
The second way is up -> left, represented by 'ul'.
Both ways have shortest distance 6, but the first way is lexicographically smaller because 'l' < 'u'. So the output is "lul".
```

**Example 2:**

![](https://assets.leetcode.com/uploads/2021/03/31/maze3-2-grid.jpg)

```
**Input:** maze = [[0,0,0,0,0],[1,1,0,0,1],[0,0,0,0,0],[0,1,0,0,1],[0,1,0,0,0]], ball = [4,3], hole = [3,0]
**Output:** "impossible"
**Explanation:** The ball cannot reach the hole.
```

**Example 3:**

```
**Input:** maze = [[0,0,0,0,0,0,0],[0,0,1,0,0,1,0],[0,0,0,0,1,0,0],[0,0,0,0,0,0,1]], ball = [0,4], hole = [3,5]
**Output:** "dldr"
```

**Constraints:**

* `m == maze.length`
* `n == maze[i].length`
* `1 <= m, n <= 100`
* `maze[i][j]` is `0` or `1`.
* `ball.length == 2`
* `hole.length == 2`
* `0 <= ballrow, holerow <= m`
* `0 <= ballcol, holecol <= n`
* Both the ball and the hole exist in an empty space, and they will not be in the same position initially.
* The maze contains **at least 2 empty spaces**.

## ac

```java
```


---

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