Getting the permutation of a list in haskell? - list

at the university we just started learning haskell. So I am really new to that whole "functional programming"-world...
I already had to implement a function that lets you insert a value at each point in a list. It is already running and works like this.
-- Inserts a value of type a in each position of a list and returns a list of all those lists
insert :: a -> [a] -> [[a]]
My task now is to implement a function that calculates all permutations of a given list.
So I thought I could use the already working insert-function and do it like this:
perms :: [a] -> [[a]]
perms [] = [[]]
perms (x:xs) = insert x perms(xs)
But unfortunately it is not working. I am not sure but I think the problem might be, that the insert-function creates a list of lists and thereby on recursion a list of lists of lists of ... which leads to a problem when recalling the insert function recursivly, because x is not fitting into those cascading lists.
Can somebody help me with this just a little bit? Thank you very much :)

Alright... I found the solution with the help from #chepner. My Code is now running and looks like this:
perms :: [a] -> [[a]]
perms [] = [[]]
perms (x:xs) = insertEverywhere x (perms xs)
where insertEverywhere :: a -> [[a]] -> [[a]]
insertEverywhere e [[]] = [[e]]
insertEverywhere e [x] = (insert e x)
insertEverywhere e (l:ls) = (insert e l) ++ (insertEverywhere e ls)

Related

Sum corresponding elements of two lists, with the extra elements of the longer list added at the end

I'm trying to add two lists together and keep the extra elements that are unused and add those into the new list e.g.
addLists [1,2,3] [1,3,5,7,9] = [2,5,8,7,9]
I have this so far:
addLists :: Num a => [a] -> [a] -> [a]
addLists xs ys = zipWith (+) xs ys
but unsure of how to get the extra elements into the new list.
and the next step is changing this to a higher order function that takes the combining function
as an argument:
longZip :: (a -> a -> a) -> [a] -> [a] -> [a]
zipWith :: (a -> b -> c) -> [a] -> [b] -> [c] is implemented as [src]:
zipWith :: (a->b->c) -> [a]->[b]->[c]
zipWith f = go
where
go [] _ = []
go _ [] = []
go (x:xs) (y:ys) = f x y : go xs ys
It thus uses explicit recursion where go will check if the two lists are non-empty and in that case yield f x y, otherwise it stops and returns an empty list [].
You can implement a variant of zipWith which will continue, even if one of the lists is empty. THis will look like:
zipLongest :: (a -> a -> a) -> [a] -> [a] -> [a]
zipLongest f = go
where go [] ys = …
go xs [] = …
go (x:xs) (y:ys) = f x y : go xs ys
where you still need to fill in ….
You can do it with higher order functions as simple as
import Data.List (transpose)
addLists :: Num a => [a] -> [a] -> [a]
addLists xs ys = map sum . transpose $ [xs, ys]
because the length of transpose[xs, ys, ...] is the length of the longest list in its argument list, and sum :: (Foldable t, Num a) => t a -> a is already defined to sum the elements of a list (since lists are Foldable).
transpose is used here as a kind of a zip (but cutting on the longest instead of the shortest list), with [] being a default element for the lists addition ++, like 0 is a default element for the numbers addition +:
cutLongest [xs, ys] $
zipWith (++) (map pure xs ++ repeat []) (map pure ys ++ repeat [])
See also:
Zip with default value instead of dropping values?
You're looking for the semialign package. It gives you an operation like zipping, but that keeps going until both lists run out. It also generalizes to types other than lists, such as rose trees. In your case, you'd use it like this:
import Data.Semialign
import Data.These
addLists :: (Semialign f, Num a) => f a -> f a -> f a
addLists = alignWith (mergeThese (+))
longZip :: Semialign f => (a -> a -> a) -> f a -> f a -> f a
longZip = alignWith . mergeThese
The new type signatures are optional. If you want, you can keep using your old ones that restrict them to lists.

Haskell list to unitary sublist

I'm having problems turning a list to a unitary sublist
sublists :: [a] -> [[a]]
sublists [] = [[]]
sublists (x:xs) = [x:ys | ys <- sub] ++ sub
where sub = sublists xs
I need a function that given
sublists [True,False]
returns
[[True],[False]] instead of [[True,False],[True],[False],[]]
But I just don´t know how and feel like punching my computer in the face.
I hope I am clear. Thanks!
So you want a function that converts a to [a]. Okay...
makeList = \x -> [x]
(why did I write it as a lambda? keep reading)
So you want a function that converts a to [a] within a list. Okay...
makeListsInList = map (\x -> [x])
done.
You can use the function pure :: Applicative f => a -> f a to wrap values into a list, since the instance of Applicative for [] wraps elements in a singleton list.
So you can define your function as:
sublists :: [a] -> [[a]]
sublists = map pure
For example:
Prelude> sublists [True, False, False, True]
[[True],[False],[False],[True]]

Haskell:create list of last elements of each list in list

I need to define the function in Haskell's
which for a given list of lists will create a list of its last elements.
For example for [[1,2],[3,4]] it should return [2,4]
I tried to use pattern matching but ite returns only the last list :
lastElement :: [[a]] -> [a]
lastElement [] = error "error"
lastElement [x] = x
lastElement (x:xs) = lastElement xs
it gives me [3,4]
Problem
You are on the right track, the problem is that your code is not recursing. A recursive function on lists is usually of the form
f :: [a] -> [b]
f [] = y
f (x:xs) = y : f xs
After y is evaluated, that result is ":ed" to the recursive call. Now try to make your code so something similar. Also note that you don't need the lastElement [x] case, it's just plain reduntant for the recursion. However, this only applies some function to every element. You will also need a function f :: [a] -> a to get that last element from one single list. Your function as of now does just that, but there is a standard library function for that. Have a look at Hoogle: you can search library functions by type or description
Better Alternative
In this case, I would use a list comprehension as I think it would be more clear to read. Have a look at that as well
Best Alternative
Haskell being a functional language, it allows you to think more about what change to need to apply to your data, rather than what steps do you need to achieve. If you know them, you can use higher order function for this. In particular, the function map :: (a -> b) -> [a] -> [b]. As you can guess from this type definition, map takes a function, and applies it to every element of a list. It looks like you already know the last function, so you can use that:
lastElements :: [[a]] -> [a]
lastElements = map last
Look how neat and simple this code is now; no need to think about what the recursion does, you just see that it takes the last element from each list.
I will assume that you have beginner skills in Haskell and try to explain better what you are doing wrong.
lastElement :: [[a]] -> [a]
lastElement [] = error "error"
lastElement [x] = x
lastElement (x:xs) = lastElement xs
In this function, you are receiving a list of elements and returning the last of it. Occurs that those elements are lists too. In that way, applying lastElement [[1,2],[3,4]] will give to you his last element how is the list [3,4]. Since you need to enter a list [x,y,z] in which x y and z are lists and you wanna return [last of x, last of y, last of z], we need two things:
1. A function which receives a list of Int and return his last element
2. Apply this function to a (list of (lists of a)) [[a]]
To make (1) we can easily modify your function lastElement just like this:
lastElement :: [a] -> a
lastElement [] = error "error"
lastElement [x] = x
lastElement (x:xs) = lastElement xs
Now, lastElement receives one list and return its last element.
To make (2) we just need to create a mapping function like this:
mapping :: ([a] -> a) -> [[a]] -> [a]
mapping _ [] = []
mapping f (x:xs) = (f x) : (mapping f xs)
In that way, you can call mapping lastElement [[1,2],[3,4]] that will give you [2,4].
I need to say that none of this is needed if you knew two functions which is last who do the same as (1) and map who do the same as (2). Knowing this, you can do like Lorenzo already done above:
lastElements :: [[a]] -> [a]
lastElements = map last

Inverting List Elements in Haskell

I am trying to invert two-elements lists in xs. For example, invert [[1,2], [5,6,7], [10,20]] will return [[2,1], [5,6,7], [20,10]]. It doesn't invert [5,6,7] because it is a 3 element list.
So I have written this so far:
invert :: [[a]] -> [[a]]
invert [[]] = [[]]
which is just the type declaration and an empty list case. I am new to Haskell so any suggestions on how to implement this problem would be helpful.
Here's one way to do this:
First we define a function to invert one list (if it has two elements; otherwise we return the list unchanged):
invertOne :: [a] -> [a]
invertOne [x, y] = [y, x]
invertOne xs = xs
Next we apply this function to all elements of an input list:
invert :: [[a]] -> [[a]]
invert xs = map invertOne xs
(Because that's exactly what map does: it applies a function to all elements of a list and collects the results in another list.)
Your inert function just operations on each element individually, so you can express it as a map:
invert xs = map go xs
where go = ...
Here go just inverts a single list according to your rules, i.e.:
go [1,2] = [2,1]
go [4,5,6] = [4,5,6]
go [] = []
The definition of go is pretty straight-forward:
go [a,b] = [b,a]
go xs = xs -- go of anything else is just itself
I would do this:
solution ([a,b]:xs) = [b,a] : solution xs
solution (x:xs) = x : solution xs
solution [] = []
This explicitly handles 2-element lists, leaving everything else alone.
Yes, you could do this with map and an auxiliary function, but for a beginner, understanding the recursion behind it all may be valuable.
Note that your 'empty list case' is not empty. length [[]] is 1.
Examine the following solution:
invert :: [[a]] -> [[a]]
invert = fmap conditionallyInvert
where
conditionallyInvert xs
| lengthOfTwo xs = reverse xs
| otherwise = xs
lengthOfTwo (_:_:_) = True
lengthOfTwo _ = False

Haskell List Reversal Error

I'm writing a list reversal program for haskell.
I've got the idea for the list reversal and that has lead to the following code:
myreverse list1
| list1 == [] = list1
| otherwise = (myreverse(tail list1)):(head list1)
Unfortunately the above code results in the following error:
Occurs check: cannot construct the infinite type: a = [[a]]
Expected type: [[a]]
Inferred type: a
In the second argument of '(:)', namely '(head list1)'
In the expression: (myreverse(tail list1)):(head list1)
PS: I get the same sort of error when I run it on a snippet that I wrote called mylast coded below:
mylast list
| list == [] = []
| otherwise = mylast_helper(head list1)(tail list1)
mylast_helper item list2
| list2 == [] = item
| otherwise = mylast_helper(head list2)(tail list2)
Error occurs at the otherwise case of the recursive helper.
EDIT: Thanks for all the input, I guess I forgot to mention that the constraints of the question forbid the use of the ++ operator. I'll keep that in mind for future questions I create.
Cheers,
-Zigu
You are using the function
(:) :: a -> [a] -> [a]
with ill-typed arguments:
myReverse (tail list1) :: [a]
head list1 :: a
In your function, the list list1 must have type a. Hence the second argument, head list1, must have type [a]. GHC is warning you that it cannot construct the type you have specified for it. The head of a list is structurally smaller than the tail of a list, but you are telling it that the head of a list has type [a], yet the tail of a list has type a.
If you stare closely at your types, however, you will notice that you can append the head of list1 to the recursive call to myreverse using (++):
myReverse xs = case (null xs) of
True -> xs
False -> myReverse (tail xs) ++ [head xs]
Here,
[head xs] :: [a]
myReverse (tail xs) :: [a]
which aligns with the type of append:
(++) :: [a] -> [a] -> [a]
There are much better ways to implement reverse, however. The Prelude defines reverse as a left fold (. Another version of reverse can be implemented using a right fold, and is very similar to your myReverse function:
reverse xs = foldr (\x xs -> xs ++ [x]) [] xs
First off, try adding a signature to each of your functions; this will help the compiler know what you're trying to do and give you better error messages earlier on. A signature would look like this, for example: mylast :: [a] -> a. Then, instead of using guards (|), define your function through a series of equations, using pattern matching:
mylast :: [a] -> a
mylast (x:[]) = x
mylast (_:t) = mylast t
In GHCi, you can look at the type of something using :t term. That's the best general advice I can give... look carefully at the types and make sure they make sense for how you're using them.
The type of cons (:) is a -> [a] -> [a] - in other words, you give it an element and then a list and it puts the element at the start of the list. In your last line, you're doing the reverse - list first and then an element. To fix it up, change the : to the list concat operator ++:
myreverse list1
| list1 == [] = list1
| otherwise = (myreverse (tail list1)) ++ [head list1]
(To try and translate the error, it's saying "OK, the first argument to : you've given me is a list, therefore the second argument needs to be a list of elements of that same type, so a list of lists...BUT...you've given me an argument which is the type of an element of the list, so I need some type that is the same as a list of lists of that type, which I can't do. Bang!")
Ended up working on this question more and answering it myself.
Thanks a lot for the feedback. It pushed me along the right direction.
myreverse list1
| list1 == [] = list1
| otherwise = myreverse_h(list1)([])
myreverse_h list1 list2
| list1 == [] = list2
| otherwise = myreverse_h(tail list1)((head list1):list2)
Any comments on better code though? I don't think its as efficient as it could be...