Solution for https://leetcode.com/explore/challenge/card/february-leetcoding-challenge-2021/586/week-3-february-15th-february-21st/3647/

broken_calculator.py

class Solution:
    
    def brokenCalc(self, x: int, y: int) -> int:
        
        if y < x:
            return x - y

        # find next power of 2
        next_highest_power_of_two = 1
        exp = 0
        while next_highest_power_of_two < y / x:
            next_highest_power_of_two <<= 1
            exp += 1

        steps_below_next_highest_power_of_two = x * next_highest_power_of_two - y

        step_section = steps_below_next_highest_power_of_two >> exp

        num_modulos = bin(steps_below_next_highest_power_of_two)[-exp:].count("1")

        return exp + step_section + num_modulos