Null values in matrix, why? - wolfram-mathematica

Question

I'm learning about dynamic programming via the 0-1 knapsack problem.
I'm getting some weird Nulls out from the function part1. Like 3Null, 5Null etc. Why is this?
The code is an implementation of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH6h7WA7sDw
I use a matrix to store all the values and keeps, dont know how efficient this is since it is a list of lists(indexing O(1)?).
This is my code:
(* 0-1 Knapsack problem
item = {value, weight}
Constraint is maxweight. Objective is to max value.
Input on the form:
Matrix[{value,weight},
{value,weight},
...
]
*)
lookup[x_, y_, m_] := m[[x, y]];
part1[items_, maxweight_] := {
nbrofitems = Dimensions[items][[1]];
keep = values = Table[0, {j, 0, nbrofitems}, {i, 1, maxweight}];
For[j = 2, j <= nbrofitems + 1, j++,
itemweight = items[[j - 1, 2]];
itemvalue = items[[j - 1, 1]];
For[i = 1, i <= maxweight, i++,
{
x = lookup[j - 1, i, values];
diff = i - itemweight;
If[diff > 0, y = lookup[j - 1, diff, values], y = 0];
If[itemweight <= i ,
{If[x < itemvalue + y,
{values[[j, i]] = itemvalue + y; keep[[j, i]] = 1;},
{values[[j, i]] = x; keep[[j, i]] = 0;}]
},
y(*y eller x?*)]
}
]
]
{values, keep}
}
solvek[keep_, items_, maxweight_] :=
{
(*w=remaining weight in knapsack*)
(*i=current item*)
w = maxweight;
knapsack = {};
nbrofitems = Dimensions[items][[1]];
For[i = nbrofitems, i > 0, i--,
If[keep[[i, w]] == 1, {Append[knapsack, i]; w -= items[[i, 2]];
i -= 1;}, i - 1]];
knapsack
}
Clear[keep, v, a, b, c]
maxweight = 5;
nbrofitems = 3;
a = {5, 3};
b = {3, 2};
c = {4, 1};
items = {a, b, c};
MatrixForm[items]
Print["Results:"]
results = part1[items, 5];
keep = results[[1]];
Print["keep:"];
Print[keep];
Print["------"];
results2 = solvek[keep, items, 5];
MatrixForm[results2]
(*MatrixForm[results[[1]]]
MatrixForm[results[[2]]]*)
{{{0,0,0,0,0},{0,0,5 Null,5 Null,5 Null},{0,3 Null,5 Null,5 Null,8 Null},{4 Null,4 Null,7 Null,9 Null,9 Null}},{{0,0,0,0,0},{0,0,Null,Null,Null},{0,Null,0,0,Null},{Null,Null,Null,Null,Null}}}

Answer 1

While your code gives errors here, the Null problem occurs because For[] returns Null. So add a ; at the end of the outermost For statement in part1 (ie, just before {values,keep}.
As I said though, the code snippet gives errors when I run it.
In case my answer isn't clear, here is how the problem occurs:
(
Do[i, {i, 1, 10}]
3
)
(*3 Null*)
while
(
Do[i, {i, 1, 10}];
3
)
(*3*)

Answer 2

The Null error has been reported by acl. There are more errors though.
Your keep matrix actually contains two matrices. You need to call solvek with the second one: solvek[keep[[2]], items, 5]
Various errors in solvek:
i -= 1 and i - 1 are more than superfluous (the latter one is a coding error anyway). The i-- in the beginning of the For is sufficient. As it is now you're decreasing i twice per iteration.
Append must be AppendTo
keep[[i, w]] == 1 must be keep[[i + 1, w]] == 1 as the keep matrix has one more row than there are items.
Not wrong but superfluous: nbrofitems = Dimensions[items][[1]]; nbrofitems is already globally defined
The code of your second part could look like:
solvek[keep_, items_, maxweight_] :=
Module[{w = maxweight, knapsack = {}, nbrofitems = Dimensions[items][[1]]},
For[i = nbrofitems, i > 0, i--,
If[keep[[i + 1, w]] == 1, AppendTo[knapsack, i]; w -= items[[i, 2]]]
];
knapsack
]