Sorting Array of Arrays having variable number of elements - ruby

I have to sort an array of arrays. I've searched for solutions however my problem is:
need to sort arrays that may have different sizes from a script run to another.
need to sort not only by one or two elements, but, if possible based in all elements.
For example, for the following inputs:
[[2,3,4,5,6],[1,3,4,5,7],[1,3,4,5,8]]
[[5,2,3],[2,2,4],[2,2,5]]
The output should be, respectively:
[[1,3,4,5,7],[1,3,4,5,8],[2,3,4,5,6]]
[[2,2,4],[2,2,5],[5,2,3]]

Do as below
input=[[2,3,4,5,6],[1,3,4,5,7],[1,3,4,5,8]]
input.sort # => [[1, 3, 4, 5, 7], [1, 3, 4, 5, 8], [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]]

Related

What is the most efficient way to split an array of numbers, such that sum of each subset is as close to a target as possible, without exceeding it?

I am faced with this optimization challenge:
Take for example the array, [1, 2, 4, 3, 3, 6, 2, 1, 6, 7, 4, 2]
I want to split this into multiple sub-arrays, such that their sums are as close to a target sum. Say, 7.
The only condition I have is the sums cannot be more that the target sum.
Using a greedy approach, I can split them as
[1, 2, 4], [3, 3, 1], [6], [2, 4], [6], [7], [2]
The subset sums are 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 7 and 2.
Another approach I tried is as follows:
Sort the array, in reverse.
Set up a running total initialized to 0, and an empty subset.
If the list is empty, proceed to Step 6.
Going down the list, pick the first number, which when added to the running total does not exceed the target sum. If no such element is found, proceed to Step 6, else proceed to Step 5.
Remove this element from the list, add it to the subset, and update running total. Repeat from step 3.
Print the current subset, clear the running total and subset. If the list isn't empty, repeat from Step 3. Else proceed to Step 7.
You're done!
This approach produced the following split:
[7], [6, 1], [6, 1], [4, 3], [4, 3], [2, 2, 2]
The subset sum was much more even: 7, 7, 7, 7, 7 and 6.
Is this the best strategy?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
I think you should use the terms "subset" and "sub-array" carefully. What you are looking for is "subset".
The best strategy here would be to write the recursive solution that tries each possibility of forming a subset so that the sum remains <= maximum allowed sum.
If you carefully understand what the recursion does, you'll understand that some sub-problems are being solved again and again. So, you can (memoize) store the solutions to the sub-problems and re-use them. Thus, reading about dynamic programming will help you.

Adding two lists representing numbers in prolog

The task says: the numbers are represented by lists (e.g. 123 = [1, 2, 3]), write a predicate which adds two such numbers. (e.g. sum([4, 5, 6], [9], [4, 6, 5])).
I have been thinking how to express this recursively but what trips me up is when the sizes of the arrays vary. It seems, that this would be simple if the arrays were reverted, so that HEAD is actually the last element. Because the problem for me is that my sum looks like that that:
[4, 5, 6]
+
[9]
instead of
[4, 5, 6]
+
[9]
What could be the proper way to write such predicate? I need some pointers or reference for help...
Here is my implementation:
sum(L1,L2,OutL):-
reverse(L1,List1),reverse(L2,List2),
add_lists(List1,List2,0,List3),
reverse(List3,OutL).
add_lists([],[],0,[]).
add_lists([],[],1,[1]).
add_lists([],[H|T],C,[H1|T]):-H1 is H+C.
add_lists([H|T],[],C,[H1|T]):-H1 is H+C.
add_lists([H|T],[H1|T1],C,[H2|T2]):-NH is H1+H,
(NH > 10 -> NC is 1,H2 is NH+C-10; H2 is NH+C,NC is 0),
add_lists(T,T1,NC,T2).
The idea is to reverse lists in order to add right positions and avoid the problem you referred. Also you just keep a carry which is 1 if an addition is greater than 10 where you reduce 10.
Example:
?- sum([4, 5, 6], [9], L).
L = [4, 6, 5] ;
false.

Sort Array of Arrays by length with tiebreaker

I have an Array of Arrays that I want to sort by longest length to shortest. I achieved this easily enough with a sort_by
> a = [ [1, 2, 9],
[4, 5, 6, 7],
[1, 2, 3] ]
> a.sort_by(&:length).reverse # or a.sort_by {|e| e.length}.reverse
=> [[4, 5, 6, 7], [1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 9]]
What I want, however is to have a sort of tie-breaker for lists of equal length. If two lists' lengths are equal, the list whose last entry is greater should come first. So in the above, [1, 2, 9] and [1, 2, 3] should be switched.
I don't care abouth the case where two lists have both equal length and equal last element, they can be in whatever order if that occurs. I don't know if/how I can acheive this with ruby built-in sorting.
You can still do this with sort_by, you just need to realize that Ruby arrays compare element-by-element:
ary <=> other_ary → -1, 0, +1 or nil
[...]
Each object in each array is compared (using the <=> operator).
Arrays are compared in an “element-wise” manner; the first two elements that are not equal will determine the return value for the whole comparison.
That means that you can use arrays as the sort_by key, then throw in a bit of integer negation to reverse the sort order and you get:
a.sort_by { |e| [-e.length, -e.last] }
That will give you the [[4, 5, 6, 7], [1, 2, 9], [1, 2, 3]] that you're looking for.
If you're not using numbers so the "negation to reverse the order" trick won't work, then use Shaunak's sort approach.
There you go :
a = [ [1, 2, 9],[4, 5, 6, 7],[1, 2, 3] ]
a.sort { |a, b| (b.count <=> a.count) == 0 ? (b.last <=> a.last): (b.count <=> a.count) }
That should give you:
[[4, 5, 6, 7], [1, 2, 9], [1, 2, 3]]
How this works: we pass a block to sort function, which first checks if the array length is same, if not it continues to check for last element.
You could use
a.sort_by {|i| [i.length, i.last] }.reverse
# => [[4, 5, 6, 7], [1, 2, 9], [1, 2, 3]]

how to get an order-specified subset of an array of variable length from an array of variable length?

I have an array of objects of variable length n. Defined by the number of records in my database.
I need a function to grab subsets (keeping the objects in order and always beginning at index 0) of the array of specified length m where m can be any integer I pass in.
e.g. if n = 10 and m = 4
array foo = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
subset a = [0, 1, 2, 3]
subset b = [4, 5, 6, 7]
subset c = [8, 9]
So, I need to programmatically be able to say, "Give me the i-th subset of length m from an array, given the array is length n." Using the previous example: "Give me the second subset of length four from foo" => returns the items at positions [4, 5, 6, 7].
I hope that made sense. Assistance with a ruby solution would be much appreciated! thx!
foo.each_slice(subset_length).to_a[subset_index]
e.g. foo.each_slice(4).to_a[2] returns "the second subset of length four from foo".
You can use Enumerable#each_slice:
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].each_slice(4).to_a
#=> [[0, 1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6, 7], [8, 9]]

intelligently generating combinations of combinations

Let's say I have a class of 30 students and want generate every possible way in which they can be partitioned into groups of 5 (order is irrelevant).
I know how to find all the combinations of students to form one group individually (http://www.merriampark.com/comb.htm). By using that iterator and some recursion, I can find PERMUTATIONS of the possible group combinations. However, order in which the groups are selected isn't relevant and I'd like to minimize my execution time. So how do I find the unique COMBINATIONS of the possible groups?
The above algorithm uses lexicographical ordering to avoid generating duplicate combinations... is there a way that I can use that idea on groups instead of on objects?
I know Ruby well and Java/Python less well. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Well, there's (30C5*25C5*20C5*15C5*10C5*5C5)/6! = 30!/(6!*5!6) = 123,378,675,083,039,376 different partitons of 30 into groups of 5, so generating them all will take some time, no matter what method you use.
In general, though, a good method to selecting such a partition is to use some ordering on the elements, and find the grouping for the highest ungrouped element, and then group the rest.
find_partition = lambda do |elts|
if elts.empty?
[[]]
else
highest = elts.pop
elts.combination(4).map do |others|
find_partition[elts - others].map { |part| part << [highest,*others] }
end.inject(:+)
end
end
find_partition[(1..30).to_a]
This way you're only generating each partition once
This is an old question, but anyway, for the record, that's how I would it in Ruby:
class Array
def groups_of_size(n)
Enumerator.new do |yielder|
if self.empty?
yielder.yield([])
else
self.drop(1).combination(n-1).map { |vs| [self.first] + vs }.each do |values|
(self - values).groups_of_size(n).each do |group|
yielder.yield([values] + group)
end
end
end
end
end
end
I use an enumerator because the output can grow very quickly, a strict output (an array for example) wouldn't be useful. A usage example:
>> pp [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5].groups_of_size(3).to_a
=>
[[[0, 1, 2], [3, 4, 5]],
[[0, 1, 3], [2, 4, 5]],
[[0, 1, 4], [2, 3, 5]],
[[0, 1, 5], [2, 3, 4]],
[[0, 2, 3], [1, 4, 5]],
[[0, 2, 4], [1, 3, 5]],
[[0, 2, 5], [1, 3, 4]],
[[0, 3, 4], [1, 2, 5]],
[[0, 3, 5], [1, 2, 4]],
[[0, 4, 5], [1, 2, 3]]]
You could do some post-processing on the permutations. Some pseudo-code (implement in the language of your choice...):
// We have a list of lists called 'permutations'
// combinations is an (empty) list of lists
for each permutation in permutations
{
sortedPermutation = permutation.sort()
if (! combinations.find(sortedPermutation) )
{
combinations.add(sortedPermutation);
}
}
Probably not the most efficient; I'd add the sort & compare to the code that generates the permutations personally.
One possibility would be to find all combinations to form an individual group, then go through and generate combinations that don't contain members of that individual group. Something like:
List<List<Student>> combinations=Combinations(students);
public void GenerateCombinations(int startingIndex, List<List<Student>> currentGroups, int groupsLeft)
{
if(groupsLeft==0) ProcessCombination(currentGroups);
for(int i=startingIndex; i<combinations.Count; i++)
{
if combinations[i] does not contain a student in current groups
GenerateCombinations(i+1, currentGroups + combinations[i], groupsLeft -1);
}
}
It won't be the most efficient method to go about it, but it should generate all combinations of groups. I suspect better performance could be had if you were to generate temporary lists of combinations, where in all groups that can't occur were removed, but that would be a bit more complex.
As a slight aside, there should be 142,506 combinations of 30 students to form a single group of 5. My <sarcasm> awesome </sarcasm> math skills suggest that there should be about 10^17 = 100 quadrillion combinations of groups of students (30!/((5!^6)*6!); 30! orderings of students, ordering of 6 groups of 5 does not matter, and ordering of those 6 groups doesn't matter). You might be sitting there a while waiting for this to finish.

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