<p>You are given the <code>root</code> of a binary tree. We install cameras on the tree nodes where each camera at a node can monitor its parent, itself, and its immediate children.</p>

<p>Return <em>the minimum number of cameras needed to monitor all nodes of the tree</em>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong class="example">Example 1:</strong></p>
<img alt="" src="https://assets.leetcode.com/uploads/2018/12/29/bst_cameras_01.png" style="width: 138px; height: 163px;" />
<pre>
<strong>Input:</strong> root = [0,0,null,0,0]
<strong>Output:</strong> 1
<strong>Explanation:</strong> One camera is enough to monitor all nodes if placed as shown.
</pre>

<p><strong class="example">Example 2:</strong></p>
<img alt="" src="https://assets.leetcode.com/uploads/2018/12/29/bst_cameras_02.png" style="width: 139px; height: 312px;" />
<pre>
<strong>Input:</strong> root = [0,0,null,0,null,0,null,null,0]
<strong>Output:</strong> 2
<strong>Explanation:</strong> At least two cameras are needed to monitor all nodes of the tree. The above image shows one of the valid configurations of camera placement.
</pre>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Constraints:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>The number of nodes in the tree is in the range <code>[1, 1000]</code>.</li>
	<li><code>Node.val == 0</code></li>
</ul>

# Definition for a binary tree node.
# class TreeNode:
#     def __init__(self, val=0, left=None, right=None):
#         self.val = val
#         self.left = left
#         self.right = right
class Solution:
    def minCameraCover(self, root: Optional[TreeNode]) -> int:
        memo = []
        # return (cost if camera at curr, cost if camera not at curr but covered, cost if not covered)
        @cache
        def dfs(curr):
            if not curr:
                return (float("inf"), 0, 0)
            
            left = dfs(curr.left)
            right = dfs(curr.right)

            currCam = 1 + min(left) + min(right) # whichever way children were covered best + 1
            currCov = min(left[0] + min(right[:2]), right[0] + min(left[:2]))
            currNone = left[1] + right[1]
            return (currCam, currCov, currNone)
        
        return min(dfs(root)[:2])
17500