Decode Ways

def numDecodings(s):
    n = len(s)

    def ways_from(i):
        # The number of ways to decode s[i:].
        if i == n:
            return 1  # nothing left: one finished reading
        if s[i] == "0":
            return 0  # no letter code starts with 0
        ways = ways_from(i + 1)  # read one digit
        if i + 1 < n and int(s[i:i + 2]) <= 26:
            ways += ways_from(i + 2)  # read two digits, 10 to 26
        return ways

    return ways_from(0)

def numDecodings(s):
    n = len(s)
    memo = [-1] * n  # memo[i]: ways to decode s[i:], -1 until worked out

    def ways_from(i):
        if i == n:
            return 1
        if memo[i] != -1:
            return memo[i]
        ways = 0
        if s[i] != "0":
            ways = ways_from(i + 1)  # read one digit
            if i + 1 < n and int(s[i:i + 2]) <= 26:
                ways += ways_from(i + 2)  # read two digits, 10 to 26
        memo[i] = ways
        return ways

    return ways_from(0)

def numDecodings(s):
    # ways(i) counts the readings of the first i digits; ways(0) = 1.
    two_back, one_back = 0, 1  # ways(i-1) and ways(i) before digit i is read
    for i in range(len(s)):
        current = 0
        if s[i] != "0":
            current = one_back  # digit i is a letter on its own
        if i >= 1 and s[i - 1] != "0" and int(s[i - 1:i + 1]) <= 26:
            current += two_back  # digits i-1 and i form one letter, 10 to 26
        two_back, one_back = one_back, current
    return one_back