Solution2.py

class Solution:
    def ladderLength(self, beginWord: str, endWord: str, wordList: List[str]) -> int:
        def extend(m1, m2, q):
            for _ in range(len(q)):
                s = q.popleft()
                step = m1[s]
                s = list(s)
                for i in range(len(s)):
                    ch = s[i]
                    for j in range(26):
                        s[i] = chr(ord('a') + j)
                        t = ''.join(s)
                        if t in m1 or t not in words:
                            continue
                        if t in m2:
                            return step + 1 + m2[t]
                        m1[t] = step + 1
                        q.append(t)
                    s[i] = ch
            return -1

        words = set(wordList)
        if endWord not in words:
            return 0
        q1, q2 = deque([beginWord]), deque([endWord])
        m1, m2 = {beginWord: 0}, {endWord: 0}
        while q1 and q2:
            t = extend(m1, m2, q1) if len(q1) <= len(q2) else extend(m2, m1, q2)
            if t != -1:
                return t + 1
        return 0