Problem p01557 (C++)

Buggy submission (status: Time Limit Exceeded):
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <queue>
#include <set>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
short n;
vector<short> a;
queue<pair<vector<short>, short>> Q;
vector<pair<vector<short>, short>> a1, a2;
set<vector<short>> E;
void init(vector<short> R, short Lim, short D) {
  Q.push(make_pair(R, 0));
  E.clear();
  E.insert(R);
  while (!Q.empty()) {
    vector<short> H = Q.front().first;
    short L = Q.front().second;
    Q.pop();
    if (D == 0)
      a1.push_back(make_pair(H, L));
    if (D == 1)
      a2.push_back(make_pair(H, L));
    if (L == Lim)
      continue;
    for (short i = 0; i < n; i++) {
      for (short j = i + 1; j < n; j++) {
        vector<short> I = H;
        short Y = j;
        for (short k = i; k <= (i + j) / 2; k++) {
          swap(I[k], I[Y]);
          Y--;
        }
        if (E.find(I) == E.end()) {
          Q.push(make_pair(I, L + 1));
          E.insert(I);
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
int main() {
  cin >> n;
  for (short i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    short p;
    cin >> p;
    a.push_back(p);
  }
  short pos = n / 2;
  short pos2 = (n - 1) / 2;
  init(a, pos, 0);
  vector<short> Zero;
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    Zero.push_back(i + 1);
  init(Zero, pos2, 1);
  sort(a2.begin(), a2.end());
  short ret = n - 1;
  for (short i = 0; i < a1.size(); i++) {
    int S1 =
        lower_bound(a2.begin(), a2.end(), make_pair(a1[i].first, (short)0)) -
        a2.begin();
    int S2 = upper_bound(a2.begin(), a2.end(), make_pair(a1[i].first, pos)) -
             a2.begin();
    if (S1 != S2)
      ret = min(ret, (short)(a1[i].second + a2[S1].second));
  }
  cout << ret << endl;
  return 0;
}

Fixed submission:
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <queue>
#include <set>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
short n;
vector<short> a;
queue<pair<vector<short>, short>> Q;
vector<pair<vector<short>, short>> a1, a2;
set<vector<short>> E;
void init(vector<short> R, short Lim, short D) {
  Q.push(make_pair(R, 0));
  E.clear();
  E.insert(R);
  while (!Q.empty()) {
    vector<short> H = Q.front().first;
    short L = Q.front().second;
    Q.pop();
    if (D == 0)
      a1.push_back(make_pair(H, L));
    if (D == 1)
      a2.push_back(make_pair(H, L));
    if (L == Lim)
      continue;
    for (short i = 0; i < n; i++) {
      for (short j = i + 1; j < n; j++) {
        vector<short> I = H;
        short Y = j;
        for (short k = i; k <= (i + j) / 2; k++) {
          swap(I[k], I[Y]);
          Y--;
        }
        if (E.find(I) == E.end()) {
          Q.push(make_pair(I, L + 1));
          E.insert(I);
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
int main() {
  cin >> n;
  for (short i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    short p;
    cin >> p;
    a.push_back(p);
  }
  short pos = min(4, n / 2);
  short pos2 = (n - 1) / 2;
  init(a, pos, 0);
  vector<short> Zero;
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    Zero.push_back(i + 1);
  init(Zero, pos2, 1);
  sort(a2.begin(), a2.end());
  short ret = n - 1;
  for (short i = 0; i < a1.size(); i++) {
    int S1 =
        lower_bound(a2.begin(), a2.end(), make_pair(a1[i].first, (short)0)) -
        a2.begin();
    int S2 = upper_bound(a2.begin(), a2.end(), make_pair(a1[i].first, pos)) -
             a2.begin();
    if (S1 != S2)
      ret = min(ret, (short)(a1[i].second + a2[S1].second));
  }
  cout << ret << endl;
  return 0;
}