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PHP Program to Big Integer Subtraction with Explanation

PHP Hard PHP Data Types 26 views
This problem helps you practice core PHP fundamentals in a practical way. It builds intuition around big, one, subtraction. Let’s break it down step by step so you can implement it confidently.
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Problem Statement

Given a and b as big integers (a >= b), print a-b.

Input Format

One line: a b (a>=b).

Output Format

One integer string.

Constraints

1

Code Solution

This explanation is written for learning purposes and to help beginners understand the concept clearly.
<?php $inputText=trim(stream_get_contents(STDIN)); if($inputText==='') exit; [$a,$b]=preg_split('/\\s+/', $inputText, 2); $a=ltrim($a,'0'); if($a==='') $a='0'; $b=ltrim($b,'0'); if($b==='') $b='0'; $i=strlen($a)-1; $j=strlen($b)-1; $borrow=0; $out=''; while($i>=0){ $da=ord($a[$i])-48-$borrow; $db=($j>=0)?(ord($b[$j])-48):0; if($da<$db){ $da+=10; $borrow=1; } else $borrow=0; $out=chr(($da-$db)+48).$out; $i--; $j--; } $out=ltrim($out,'0'); echo ($out===''?'0':$out); ?>

Output Example

Input:
1000 1
Output:
999

Common Mistakes

- Misreading input/output format.
- Not handling constraints and edge cases.
- Off-by-one errors in loops.
- Forgetting to reset variables between test cases (if any).

Notes & Extra Practice

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