Reverse Bits

Given an integer, reverse all its bits.

Simplest solution. Note that order of (res << 1) and (n & 1) can not be exchanged.

public class ReverseBits {
    // you need treat n as an unsigned value
    public int reverseBits(int n) {
        int res = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < 32; i++) {
            res = (res << 1) | (n & 1);
            n >>= 1;
        }
        return res;
    }
}

There is an in place method to do this:

public class ReverseBits {
    // you need treat n as an unsigned value
    public int reverseBits(int n) {
        for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
            n ^= ((n >> i) & 1) != ((n >> (31 - i)) & 1) ? ((1 << i) | (1 << (31 - i))) : 0; 
        }
        return n;
    }
}

This method check if a pair of bits is equal. If they are equal, there is no need to swap them. Or we will use XOR operator to reverse those two bits' value. Except it reduced time of loops from 32 to 16, there is really no reason to do like this. The time cost won't reduce a lot and space cost isn't necessary reduced.

If the code will be execute many times, a more time efficient solution might be that we make a table of every 8 bits integer. Then when we are asked to reverse bits in a 32 bits, we partition it into 4 parts and for each parts we look up its reverse in the table. At last we reverse the 4 parts. This method increases the space cost but will reduce time cost a lot.

public class Solution {
    // you need treat n as an unsigned value
    final static short[] reverseTable = {
        0x00, 0x80, 0x40, 0xC0, 0x20, 0xA0, 0x60, 0xE0, 0x10, 0x90, 0x50, 0xD0, 0x30, 0xB0, 0x70, 0xF0, 
        0x08, 0x88, 0x48, 0xC8, 0x28, 0xA8, 0x68, 0xE8, 0x18, 0x98, 0x58, 0xD8, 0x38, 0xB8, 0x78, 0xF8, 
        0x04, 0x84, 0x44, 0xC4, 0x24, 0xA4, 0x64, 0xE4, 0x14, 0x94, 0x54, 0xD4, 0x34, 0xB4, 0x74, 0xF4, 
        0x0C, 0x8C, 0x4C, 0xCC, 0x2C, 0xAC, 0x6C, 0xEC, 0x1C, 0x9C, 0x5C, 0xDC, 0x3C, 0xBC, 0x7C, 0xFC, 
        0x02, 0x82, 0x42, 0xC2, 0x22, 0xA2, 0x62, 0xE2, 0x12, 0x92, 0x52, 0xD2, 0x32, 0xB2, 0x72, 0xF2, 
        0x0A, 0x8A, 0x4A, 0xCA, 0x2A, 0xAA, 0x6A, 0xEA, 0x1A, 0x9A, 0x5A, 0xDA, 0x3A, 0xBA, 0x7A, 0xFA,
        0x06, 0x86, 0x46, 0xC6, 0x26, 0xA6, 0x66, 0xE6, 0x16, 0x96, 0x56, 0xD6, 0x36, 0xB6, 0x76, 0xF6, 
        0x0E, 0x8E, 0x4E, 0xCE, 0x2E, 0xAE, 0x6E, 0xEE, 0x1E, 0x9E, 0x5E, 0xDE, 0x3E, 0xBE, 0x7E, 0xFE,
        0x01, 0x81, 0x41, 0xC1, 0x21, 0xA1, 0x61, 0xE1, 0x11, 0x91, 0x51, 0xD1, 0x31, 0xB1, 0x71, 0xF1,
        0x09, 0x89, 0x49, 0xC9, 0x29, 0xA9, 0x69, 0xE9, 0x19, 0x99, 0x59, 0xD9, 0x39, 0xB9, 0x79, 0xF9, 
        0x05, 0x85, 0x45, 0xC5, 0x25, 0xA5, 0x65, 0xE5, 0x15, 0x95, 0x55, 0xD5, 0x35, 0xB5, 0x75, 0xF5,
        0x0D, 0x8D, 0x4D, 0xCD, 0x2D, 0xAD, 0x6D, 0xED, 0x1D, 0x9D, 0x5D, 0xDD, 0x3D, 0xBD, 0x7D, 0xFD,
        0x03, 0x83, 0x43, 0xC3, 0x23, 0xA3, 0x63, 0xE3, 0x13, 0x93, 0x53, 0xD3, 0x33, 0xB3, 0x73, 0xF3, 
        0x0B, 0x8B, 0x4B, 0xCB, 0x2B, 0xAB, 0x6B, 0xEB, 0x1B, 0x9B, 0x5B, 0xDB, 0x3B, 0xBB, 0x7B, 0xFB,
        0x07, 0x87, 0x47, 0xC7, 0x27, 0xA7, 0x67, 0xE7, 0x17, 0x97, 0x57, 0xD7, 0x37, 0xB7, 0x77, 0xF7, 
        0x0F, 0x8F, 0x4F, 0xCF, 0x2F, 0xAF, 0x6F, 0xEF, 0x1F, 0x9F, 0x5F, 0xDF, 0x3F, 0xBF, 0x7F, 0xFF
    };
    public int reverseBits(int n) {
        return (reverseTable[n & 0xFF] << 24) | (reverseTable[(n >> 8) & 0xFF] << 16) |
            (reverseTable[(n >> 16) & 0xFF] << 8) | (reverseTable[(n >> 24) & 0xFF]); 
    }
}

The code above is thought to be fastest, although I found it is in fact slower on LeetCode's OJ. A more detailed discussion of related methods exists in this StackOverflow question.

Also Java itself provide a lib function Integer.reverse to do this. It is also a good choice in practical usage. Please refer to Java's document for Integer.