How to count comparisons in selectionsort? - c++

Question

How to count comparisons in selectionsort?
terms:
when the statements you perform to find the maximum value is 'true'
then count comparison.
The value to get the maximum value is held at the first element in the array, not at random.
I try with C
variable count position change - no work
new variable 'first' , first=sort[MAX] insert first for loop, - no work
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int sort[10000], i, n, MAX, temp, count;
scanf("%d", &n);
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
scanf("%d", &sort[i]);
}
for (MAX = 0; MAX < n; MAX++)
for (i = MAX + 1; i < n; i++) {
if (sort[MAX] > sort[i]) {
count++;
temp = sort[MAX];
sort[MAX] = sort[i];
sort[i] = temp;
}
}
printf("%d ", count);
return 0;
}
Sample Input
10
0 7 1 6 7 7 6 6 5 4
Sample Output
17
EDIT: new code:
#include <stdio.h>
#define SWAP(x, y, temp) ( (temp)=(x), (x)=(y), (y)=(temp) )
int count = 0;
void selection_sort(int list[], int n) {
int i, j, least, temp;
for (i = 0; i < n - 1; i++) {
least = i;
for (j = i + 1; j < n; j++) {
if (list[j] < list[least]) {
least = j;
count++;
}
}
SWAP(list[i], list[least], temp);
}
}
int main() {
int list[10000], i, n;
scanf("%d", &n);
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
scanf("%d", &list[i]);
};
selection_sort(list, n);
printf("%d", count);
}
how about this? why this code didn't move too?

Answer 1

You aren't counting the right thing, this code
if(sort[MAX]>sort[i])
{
count++;
temp=sort[MAX];
sort[MAX]=sort[i];
sort[i]=temp;
}
counts the times that two numbers are swapped. But you want to count comparisons so it should be this
count++;
if(sort[MAX]>sort[i]) // this is what we are counting
{
temp=sort[MAX];
sort[MAX]=sort[i];
sort[i]=temp;
}
Another problem is that you don't give count an initial value of zero
int sort[10000],i,n,MAX,temp,count;
should be
int sort[10000],i,n,MAX,temp,count = 0;

Answer 2

how to count comparison selectionsort?
Your definition of the term is oddly worded, but it seems to be intended to focus on the essential comparisons of the algorithm, as opposed to comparisons performed incidentally for other purposes, or inside library functions. That is, in the implementation you present (whose correctness I do not evaluate), you're to count each evaluation of sort[MAX]>first, but not MAX<n or i<n.
You appear to be using variable count for that purpose, but you are counting only comparisons that evaluate to true. My interpretation of the problem, based both on the wording presented and on my general expectations for such a problem, is that every evaluation of sort[MAX]>first should be counted, regardless of the result. That would be achieved by lifting the expression count++ out of the if block, but leaving it inside the inner enclosing for loop.
Of course, as #john observes, you do need to initialize count to 0 before beginning to sort. You might luck into getting that by accident, but the initial value of a local variables without an initializer is indeterminate (at least) until a value is assigned.
i try with c variable count position change - no work
new variable 'first' , first=sort[MAX] insert first for loop, - no work
Even with the misplacement of your increment to count, if your sort were in fact working then you would expect to see some counts for most inputs. That you don't is a good sign that your sort in fact does not work correctly. I would suggest outputting also the the sorted results so that you can debug the details of the sort algorithm.

Answer 3

You could abstract out the comparison into a function or macro that also increments a counter. The macro approach could be
#define GT(x,y,counter) (counter++, (x) > (y) ? 1 : 0)
...
if ( GT( sort[MAX], sort[i], count ) == 1 )
{
// perform swap
}
whereas the function approach would be
int gt( int x, int y, int *counter )
{
(*counter)++;
if ( x > y )
return 1;
return 0;
}
...
if ( gt( sort[MAX], sort[i], &count ) == 1 )
{
// perform swap
}

Answer 4

You are counting the number of swaps, not the number of comparisons.
Here is a corrected without a global variable and a few extra checks:
#include <stdio.h>
#define SWAP(x, y, temp) ((temp) = (x), (x) = (y), (y) = (temp))
int selection_sort(int list[], int n) {
int count = 0;
int i, j, least, temp;
for (i = 0; i < n - 1; i++) {
least = i;
for (j = i + 1; j < n; j++) {
count++;
if (list[j] < list[least]) {
least = j;
}
}
SWAP(list[i], list[least], temp);
}
return count;
}
int main() {
int list[10000], i, n, count;
if (scanf("%d", &n) != 1 || n > 10000)
return 1;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
if (scanf("%d", &list[i]) != 1)
return 1;
}
count = selection_sort(list, n);
printf("%d\n", count);
return 0;
}
Not however that your algorithm will always perform the same number of comparisons for any set of n values: n * (n - 1) / 2 comparisons, and since you do not test of i != least, it will perform n - 1 swaps.