<div> 🟡 2025-06-07 #hash_table #string #stack #greedy #heap_priority_queue </div>You are given a string <code>s</code>. It may contain any number of <code>'*'</code> characters. Your task is to remove all <code>'*'</code> characters.

While there is a <code>'*'</code>, do the following operation:

<ul>
<li>Delete the leftmost <code>'*'</code> and the smallest non-<code>'*'</code> character to its left. If there are several smallest characters, you can delete any of them.</li>
</ul>

Return the lexicographically smallest resulting string after removing all <code>'*'</code> characters.

&nbsp;
Example 1:

<div class="example-block">
Input: s = "aaba*"

Output: "aab"

Explanation:

We should delete one of the <code>'a'</code> characters with <code>'*'</code>. If we choose <code>s[3]</code>, <code>s</code> becomes the lexicographically smallest.
</div>

Example 2:

<div class="example-block">
Input: s = "abc"

Output: "abc"

Explanation:

There is no <code>'*'</code> in the string.
</div>

&nbsp;
Constraints:

<ul>
<li><code>1 &lt;= s.length &lt;= 105</code></li>
<li><code>s</code> consists only of lowercase English letters and <code>'*'</code>.</li>
<li>The input is generated such that it is possible to delete all <code>'*'</code> characters.</li>
</ul>

🟡 2025-06-07 
 #hash_table #string #stack #greedy #heap_priority_queue 

You are given a string s. It may contain any number of '*' characters. Your task is to remove all '*' characters.
While there is a '*', do the following operation:
Delete the leftmost '*' and the smallest non-'*' character to its left. If there are several smallest characters, you can delete any of them.
Return the lexicographically smallest resulting string after removing all '*' characters.
 
Example 1:
Input: s = "aaba*"
Output: "aab"
Explanation:
We should delete one of the 'a' characters with '*'. If we choose s[3], s becomes the lexicographically smallest.
Example 2:
Input: s = "abc"
Output: "abc"
Explanation:
There is no '*' in the string.
 
Constraints:
1 <= s.length <= 105
s consists only of lowercase English letters and '*'.
The input is generated such that it is possible to delete all '*' characters.

3170.lexicographically-minimum-string-after-removing-stars