first test removing single number that is diffrent to the rest

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "files.associations": {
-        "*.tcc": "cpp"
-    }
-}

.vscode/tasks.json

@@ -2,22 +2,20 @@
     "tasks": [
         {
             "type": "cppbuild",
-            "label": "C/C++: gcc build active file",
-            "command": "/usr/bin/g++",
+            "label": "C/C++: cl.exe build active file",
+            "command": "cl.exe",
             "args": [
-                "--std",
-                "gnu++23",
-                "-fdiagnostics-color=always",
-                "-g",
-                "${file}",
-                "-o",
-                "${fileDirname}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}"
+                "/Zi",
+                "/EHsc",
+                "/nologo",
+                "/Fe${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
+                "${file}"
             ],
             "options": {
                 "cwd": "${fileDirname}"
             },
             "problemMatcher": [
-                "$gcc"
+                "$msCompile"
             ],
             "group": {
                 "kind": "build",

2/puzzle2p2.cpp

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <sstream>
+#include <iterator>
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ int main(){
                 currentLevels.push_back(number);
             }
 
+            list<int> currentLevelsBackup = currentLevels;
             int numOfLevelsInLine = currentLevels.size();
             int numOfLevelsProcessed = 0;
             auto curListIt = currentLevels.begin();
@@ -44,13 +46,16 @@ int main(){
             list<int>levelStaysSame;
             int totalChange=0;
             
-            changeFromPrevLevel.push_front(0);
+            //we are going to walk the levels and see what the change is. 
+            //the frontIt is the front number (starts at 2nd entry) 
+            //backIt is the first entry (starts at 1st entry)
+
             auto frontIt = currentLevels.begin();
             frontIt++; 
             auto backIt = currentLevels.begin();
 
             for(int index = 1;frontIt!=currentLevels.end();index++){
-                int change = (*backIt)-(*frontIt);
+                int change = (*frontIt) - (*backIt);
                 totalChange+=change;
                 changeFromPrevLevel.push_back(change);
                 frontIt++;
@@ -63,34 +68,52 @@ int main(){
                     levelStaysSame.push_front(index);
                 }
             }
-            float averageChange = totalChange/(currentLevels.size()-1);
-            //need to pull the first one to have something to compare to
+            float averageChange = totalChange/(currentLevels.size()-1); //we use average change to smooth out the data
 
-            int prevlevel = currentLevels.front();
-            currentLevels.pop_front();
-            numOfLevelsProcessed++;
-            if (prevlevel < currentLevels.front()){
+            if (totalChange>0){
+                dir= UP;
+            } else if (totalChange<0){
                 dir = DOWN;
-            } else if (prevlevel > currentLevels.front()){
-                dir = UP;
-            } else {
+            }
+
+            if (dir==UP&&levelGoDown.size()>2){ //if the overall direction goes up and more then 2 leves go down the list is bad 
+                currentLevels.clear();
+            } else if (dir==DOWN&&levelGoesUp.size()>2){ //same as above but opiosite dirrection 
                 currentLevels.clear();
             }
 
-
-            for (int level = currentLevels.front(); !currentLevels.empty();level=currentLevels.front()){
-                if (abs(prevlevel-level)>3) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
-                if(prevlevel==level){ currentLevels.clear();break;}
-                if(dir==UP&&(prevlevel<currentLevels.front())) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
-                if(dir==DOWN&&(prevlevel>currentLevels.front())) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
-                
-                prevlevel=currentLevels.front();
-                currentLevels.pop_front();
-                numOfLevelsProcessed++;
-
-                if(numOfLevelsProcessed==numOfLevelsInLine){
-                    safeReports++;
+            if (!currentLevels.empty()){
+                if (dir==UP&&levelGoDown.size()==1){
+                    list<int>::iterator itNumberToDelete = currentLevels.begin();
+                    advance(itNumberToDelete,levelGoDown.front());
+                    currentLevels.erase(itNumberToDelete);
+                    listDirty = true;
+                } else if (dir==DOWN&&levelGoesUp.size()==1){
+                    auto itNumberToDelete = currentLevels.begin();
+                    advance(itNumberToDelete,levelGoesUp.front());
+                    currentLevels.erase(itNumberToDelete);
+                    listDirty=true;
                 }
+            
+                //need to pull the first one to have something to compare to
+                int prevlevel = currentLevels.front();
+                currentLevels.pop_front();
+
+                for (int level = currentLevels.front(); !currentLevels.empty();level=currentLevels.front()){
+                    if (abs(prevlevel-level)>3) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
+                    if(prevlevel==level){ currentLevels.clear();break;}
+                    if(dir==UP&&(prevlevel<currentLevels.front())) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
+                    if(dir==DOWN&&(prevlevel>currentLevels.front())) {currentLevels.clear();break;}
+                    
+                    prevlevel=currentLevels.front();
+                    currentLevels.pop_front();
+                    numOfLevelsProcessed++;
+
+                    if(numOfLevelsProcessed==numOfLevelsInLine){
+                        safeReports++;
+                    }
+                }
+
             }
         }
 cout << safeReports;