2nd base case execution

#1

didn’t get the second base case where
if(x1==n && y1==m)
return (c[x1][y1]==’*’);

please elaborate

#2

It is just to avoid the further calculation because that’s the end cell. See this pseudocode, this doesn’t have that. (you may add INT_MIN in this)

const int N 100+5

vector<string> board;

int dp[N][N][N];  // initialize with -1

int calc(int x1, int y1, int  x2) {
    int n=board.size(), m=board[0].size();
    int y2=x1+y1-x2;
    if(x1>=n || x2>=n || y1>=m || y2>=m) return 0;   // out of range
    if(board[x1][y1]=='#' || board[x2][y2]=='#') return 0;  // path blocked so its an invalid move
    if(dp[x1][y1][x2]!=-1) return dp[x1][y1][x2];  // avoid recalculation
    int res=0;
    if(board[x1][y1]=='*') res++;
    if(board[x2][y2]=='*') res++;
    if(board[x1][y1]=='*' && x1==x2 && y1==y2) res=1;  // both tourist on same spot
    int r=calc(x1+1, y1, x2);        // first tourist down second tourist right
    r=max(r, calc(x1+1, y1, x2+1));  // first tourist down second tourist down
    r=max(r, calc(x1, y1+1, x2));    // first tourist right second tourist right
    r=max(r, calc(x1, y1+1, x2+1));  // first tourist right second tourist down
    res+=r;
    dp[x1][y1][x2]=res;  // memoize
    return res;
}