Gold Mine Problem - Sequence of for loops - algorithm

Question

Gold mine problem. Following sequence for loop is giving correct result.
//see link for other code
static int getMaxGold(int gold[][], int m, int n) {
//see link for other code
for (int col = n-1; col >= 0; col--) {
for (int row = 0; row < m; row++) {
int right = (col == n-1) ? 0 : goldTable[row][col+1];
int right_up = (row == 0 || col == n-1) ? 0 : goldTable[row-1][col+1];
int right_down = (row == m-1 || col == n-1) ? 0 : goldTable[row+1][col+1];
goldTable[row][col] = gold[row][col] + Math.max(right, Math.max(right_up, right_down));
}
}
}
//see link for other code
While other way round does not give the expected result. For example
for (int col = 0; col < n; col ++) {
for (int row = 0; row < m; row++) {
//same code to calculate right, rightUp and rightDown
}
}
Any explanation for this behaviour?

Answer 1

You don't need to store a whole matrix.
When you build the table, you just need to keep the last layer you processed.
In your recursion, there is diagonally right, or right, so the layer is a column because to compute the value of some cell, you need to know three values (on its right)
You conclude (as spotted by Damien already) that you start from the rightmost column, then to compute the value of every cells of the n-1 column, you only need to know the nth column (which you luckily computed already)
In below example. m_ij refers to i-th line, j-th column. (e.g m_01 == 2, m_10 = 5)
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 1 2 3
4 5 6 3
The last column is {4,8,3,3}
To compute the max value for m_02 you need to choose between 4 and 8
3 - 4
\
8
m_02 = 3 + 8 = 11
To compute the max value of m_12 you need to choose between 4, 8 and 3
4
/
7 - 8
\
3
m_12 = 7 + 8 = 15
Skipping stuff
m_22 = 2 + 8 = 10
m_32 = 6 + 3 = 9
Now you know the max value for each square of the third column
1 2 11 .
5 6 15 .
9 1 10 .
4 5 9 .
You do the same for m_10, m_11, ...
idem
m_01 = 2 + max(11, 15) = 17
m_11 = 6 + 15
m_21 = 1 + 15
m_31 = 5 + 10
Left to process is thus
1 17
5 21
9 16
4 15
Then
1+21
5+21
9+21
4+16
And finally score = max(22, 26, 30, 20)
As you have noticed you only need to keep track of the last processed column. Not a whole table of computation. And the last processed column must start from the right and always be the rightmost one...
I don't think an implem is relevant to help you understand but in case
const s = `
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 1 2 3
4 5 6 3`
const m = s.trim().split('\n').map(x => x.trim().split(' ').map(y => parseInt(y)))
let layer = [0, 0, 0, 0]
for (let j = 3; j >= 0; --j) {
const nextLayer = []
for (let i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
nextLayer[i] = m[i][j] + Math.max(
layer[i-1] || 0, // we default undefined value as 0 supposing s only holds positive coefficient
layer[i],
layer[i+1] || 0
)
}
layer = nextLayer
}
console.log(Math.max(...layer))