Subset sum problem

Revision as of 15:51, 1 January 2012 by rosettacode>Sluggo (created the task)
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Implement a function/procedure/method/subroutine that takes a set of words with integer weights, and obtains a non-empty subset of them whose weights sum to zero (cf. the "Dropbox Diet" candidate screening exercise and the Subset sum problem Wikipedia article).

Subset sum problem is a draft programming task. It is not yet considered ready to be promoted as a complete task, for reasons that should be found in its talk page.

For example, for this set of weighted words, one solution would be the set of words {elysee, efferent, deploy, departure, centipede, bonnet, balm, archbishop}, because their respective weights of -326, 54, 44, 952, -658, 452, 397, and -915 sum to zero.

Table of weighted words
word weight
alliance -624
archbishop -915
balm 397
bonnet 452
brute 870
centipede -658
cobol 362
covariate 590
departure 952
deploy 44
diophantine 645
efferent 54
elysee -326
eradicate 376
escritoire 856
exorcism -983
fiat 170
filmy -874
flatworm 503
gestapo 915
infra -847
isis -982
lindholm 999
markham 475
mincemeat -880
moresby 756
mycenae 183
plugging -266
smokescreen 423
speakeasy -745
vein 813

Another solution would be the set of words {flatworm, gestapo, infra, isis, lindholm, plugging, smokescreen, speakeasy}, because their respective weights of 503, 915, -847, -982, 999, -266, 423, and -745 also sum to zero.

You may assume the weights range from -1000 to 1000. If there are multiple solutions, only one needs to be found. Use any algorithm you want and demonstrate it on a set of at least 30 weighted words the results shown in a human readable form.

Ursala

This solution scans the set sequentially while maintaining a record of all distinct sums obtainable by words encountered thus far, and stops when a zero sum is found. <lang Ursala>#import std

  1. import int

weights =

{

  'alliance': -624,
  'archbishop': -915,
  'balm': 397,
  'bonnet': 452,
  'brute': 870,
  'centipede': -658,
  'cobol': 362,
  'covariate': 590,
  'departure': 952,
  'deploy': 44,
  'diophantine': 645,
  'efferent': 54,
  'elysee': -326,
  'eradicate': 376,
  'escritoire': 856,
  'exorcism': -983,
  'fiat': 170,
  'filmy': -874,
  'flatworm': 503,
  'gestapo': 915,
  'infra': -847,
  'isis': -982,
  'lindholm': 999,
  'markham': 475,
  'mincemeat': -880,
  'moresby': 756,
  'mycenae': 183,
  'plugging': -266,
  'smokescreen': 423,
  'speakeasy': -745,
  'vein': 813}

nullset = ~&nZFihmPB+ =><> ~&ng?r\~&r ^TnK2hS\~&r ^C/~&lmPlNCX *D ^A/sum@lmPrnPX ~&lrmPC

  1. cast %zm

main = nullset weights</lang> output:

<
   'flatworm': 503,
   'gestapo': 915,
   'infra': -847,
   'isis': -982,
   'lindholm': 999,
   'plugging': -266,
   'smokescreen': 423,
   'speakeasy': -745>