Y-Pattern Protein Stability

Problem Statement

Y-Pattern Protein Stability Problem Description You are a molecular biologist working in a research laboratory that studies protein folding patterns. You have a square matrix representing a microscopic view of a protein structure, where each cell contains one of three possible molecular states: 0 (inactive), 1 (partially active), or 2 (fully active). Your research has identified a specific molecular pattern that indicates optimal protein stability - a "Y-shaped" molecular pathway. This pattern consists of two diagonal molecular chains extending from the upper corners down to the center, plus a vertical chain extending downward from the center. Your task is to determine the minimum number of molecular state changes required to transform the current protein matrix into one that exhibits this stable Y-pattern. The Y-pattern is achieved when: All molecular states along the diagonals from the upper-left and upper-right corners down to the center are identical. All molecular states along the