Algorithm for dynamic combinations
- by sOltan
My code has a list called INPUTS, that contains a dynamic number of lists, let's call them A, B, C, .. N. These lists contain a dynamic number of Events
I would like to call a function with each combination of Events. To illustrate with an example:
INPUTS: A(0,1,2), B(0,1), C(0,1,2,3)
I need to call my function this many times for each combination (the input count is dynamic, in this example it is three parameter, but it can be more or less)
function(A[0],B[0],C[0])
function(A[0],B[1],C[0])
function(A[0],B[0],C[1])
function(A[0],B[1],C[1])
function(A[0],B[0],C[2])
function(A[0],B[1],C[2])
function(A[0],B[0],C[3])
function(A[0],B[1],C[3])
function(A[1],B[0],C[0])
function(A[1],B[1],C[0])
function(A[1],B[0],C[1])
function(A[1],B[1],C[1])
function(A[1],B[0],C[2])
function(A[1],B[1],C[2])
function(A[1],B[0],C[3])
function(A[1],B[1],C[3])
function(A[2],B[0],C[0])
function(A[2],B[1],C[0])
function(A[2],B[0],C[1])
function(A[2],B[1],C[1])
function(A[2],B[0],C[2])
function(A[2],B[1],C[2])
function(A[2],B[0],C[3])
function(A[2],B[1],C[3])
This is what I have thought of so far:
My approach so far is to build a list of combinations. The element combination is itself a list of "index" to the input arrays A, B and C. For our example:
my list iCOMBINATIONS contains the following iCOMBO lists
(0,0,0)
(0,1,0)
(0,0,1)
(0,1,1)
(0,0,2)
(0,1,2)
(0,0,3)
(0,1,3)
(1,0,0)
(1,1,0)
(1,0,1)
(1,1,1)
(1,0,2)
(1,1,2)
(1,0,3)
(1,1,3)
(2,0,0)
(2,1,0)
(2,0,1)
(2,1,1)
(2,0,2)
(2,1,2)
(2,0,3)
(2,1,3)
Then I would do this:
foreach( iCOMBO in iCOMBINATIONS)
{
foreach ( P in INPUTS )
{
COMBO.Clear()
foreach ( i in iCOMBO )
{
COMBO.Add( P[ iCOMBO[i] ] )
}
function( COMBO ) --- (instead of passing the events separately)
}
}
But I need to find a way to build the list iCOMBINATIONS for any given number of INPUTS and their events. Any ideas?
Is there actually a better algorithm than this?
any pseudo code to help me with will be great.
C# (or VB)
Thank You
