Final answer:
To solve this problem, you can use a semi brute force approach by generating all combinations of the 4 integers using nested loops and checking each combination against the startTime to find the minimum difference and string representation. Convert the result to minute units and handle the edge case when all HH:MM are the same integer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Answer:
- First, create a set to store the 4 integers. Use nested loops to generate all the combinations of these integers.
- Next, check each combination against the startTime to find the minimum difference and string representation.
- Convert the result to minute units, and also check if the hour is less than 24 and the minutes are smaller than 60.
- Handle the edge case when all HH:MM are the same integer by returning the solution early.
By using these steps, you can implement a semi brute force approach to solve this problem.