Confused about the depth-first-search result when using Golang - go

Question

I tried to solve the 'Combination Sum' on leetcode, and the result is wrong when using test case:
[7,3,2] 18
I used C++ with the same logic and passed, but when using Golang, my result is:
[[2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2],[2,2,2,2,2,7,3,3],[2,2,2,2,3,7],[2,2,2,3,3,3,3],[2,2,7,7],[2,3,3,3,7],[3,3,3,3,3,3]]
and the correct one should be
[[2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2],[2,2,2,2,2,2,3,3],[2,2,2,2,3,7],[2,2,2,3,3,3,3],[2,2,7,7],[2,3,3,3,7],[3,3,3,3,3,3]]
the code is shown below:
import "sort"
func combinationSum(candidates []int, target int) [][]int {
result := make([][]int, 0, 0)
resultp := &result
sort.Ints(candidates)
helper(candidates, 0, target, make([]int, 0, 0), resultp, len(candidates))
return *resultp
}
func helper(nums []int, index int, target int, list []int, resultp *[][]int, length int) {
if target == 0 {
*resultp = append(*resultp, list)
return
}
for i := index; i < length; i++ {
if i != index && nums[i] == nums[i - 1] {
continue
}
if (nums[i] > target) {
break
}
helper(nums, i, target - nums[i], append(list, nums[i]), resultp, length)
}
}
Can anyone tell me why the result is incorrect, I am just confused about the [2,2,2,2,2,7,3,3] in my answer, why the 7 is before the 3 since the array has been sorted? Or anyone can tell me what mistake I have made in my code

Answer 1

append function may or may not modify the underlying array that your slice refers to. So you are not creating a completely new list when using append. I changed helper to match your desired behavior.
for i := index; i < length; i++ {
if i != index && nums[i] == nums[i - 1] {
continue
}
if nums[i] > target {
break
}
var newList []int
newList = append(newList, list...)
newList = append(newList, nums[i])
helper(nums, i, target - nums[i], newList, resultp, length)
}

Answer 2

If list has capacity, then it will be modified and therefore you are modifying your argument. Instead make a copy of list, and then append nums[i] to it.
See Go Slices: usage and internals

Answer 3

The line
helper(nums, i, target - nums[i], append(list, nums[i]), resultp, length)
may not perform as expected. It is called within the loop, and you are probably assuming that in the each iteration the append will always add the new member to the existing slice. If has more complex behavior that you seem not caring about enough:
If the new value fits into the current capacity of the backing array withing the slice, it is added to the current backing array. All variables assigned to that slice now report the updated content with the added new value present.
If the value does not fit, a new array is allocated. In this case further modifications of the returned slice will not change the content of the initial slice if that old value is also retained.
I am under impression that you may not expect value/content disagreement between the value returned by append and the parameter list you pass to it.
This behavior is described here (scroll to "gotcha").

Answer 4

So you can see the behavior a bit better by adding some print output:
https://play.golang.org/p/JPmqoAJE4S
Importantly, you can see it at this point:
0694 helper [2 3 7] 1 1 [2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2]] 3
4425 calling down 1 6 [2 2 2 2 2 2] 3
8511 helper [2 3 7] 1 3 [2 2 2 2 2 2 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2]] 3
8511 calling down 1 3 [2 2 2 2 2 2 3] 3
8162 helper [2 3 7] 1 0 [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2]] 3
8162 solution [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2] [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3]]
1318 calling down 1 8 [2 2 2 2 2] 3
5089 helper [2 3 7] 1 5 [2 2 2 2 2 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2] [2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3]] 3
5089 calling down 1 5 [2 2 2 2 2 3] 3
4728 helper [2 3 7] 1 2 [2 2 2 2 2 3 3] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2] [2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3]] 3
1318 calling down 2 8 [2 2 2 2 2] 7
3274 helper [2 3 7] 2 1 [2 2 2 2 2 7] [[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2] [2 2 2 2 2 7 3 3]] 3
This is the sequence of actions:
You recursively call with [2 2 2 2 2 2 3] and append 3. You find that this is a valid solution and add [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3] to the result slice.
You return up a few levels until you're back to [2 2 2 2 2] (before adding the 6th 2) and start trying to add 3s. You recursively call with [2 2 2 2 2] and append 3. Unfortunately, this overwrites your existing solution [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3]. Since it's using the same backing array, you append 3 to the first 5 items in that slice, overwriting the 6th index in the slice you previously added to your solution set. Your second solution becomes [2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3] (note the 3 in the 6th slot)
You find that this solution set isn't going to work after a couple iterations (at [2 2 2 2 2 3 3]) because the remaining target (2) is less than the last number added (3), so you return up.
You repeat this sequence with a 7 in the 6th slot, overwriting the underlying array index again. Your second solution becomes [2 2 2 2 2 7 3 3], because you're still using the same underlying array. You find this solution also won't work, and return up.
After this point, you return up to before the list slice was greater than 4 in length (which is when the slice grew, by default it grows by doubling in size), meaning you're using a different (previous) backing array, which is why further iterations do not further change the existing solutions. By luck, none of the remaining solutions collide in a similar fashion.
This alternative print version shows you where the backing array changes (by showing where the address of the first entry changes): https://play.golang.org/p/nrgtMyqwow. As you can see, it changes when you grow beyond lengths 2, 4, and 8, but as you return upwards, you end up reverting back to different backing arrays.
The easiest solution to fix your specific problem is to copy the list slice before adding it to the solution set:
if target == 0 {
sol := make([]int, len(list))
copy(sol, list)
*resultp = append(*resultp, sol)
return
}
https://play.golang.org/p/3qTKoAumj0
[[2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2] [2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3] [2 2 2 2 3 7] [2 2 2 3 3 3 3] [2 2 7 7] [2 3 3 3 7] [3 3 3 3 3 3]]