why this code is wrong ? How does 'recur' work? - clojure

I don't know why the code below is wrong:
(defn factorial [n]
(loop [n n
acc 1]
(if (zero? n)
acc
(recur (* acc n)(dec n)))))
(= 1 (factorial 1))
How does recur work?

The arguments to the recur are the wrong way round.
n should become (dec n)
acc should become (* acc n)
So it should be
(recur (dec n) (* acc n))
We can recast the given algorithm to see what's going on inside it.
If we represent the pair of arguments as a vector, the function that generates the next pair is
(fn [[n acc]] [(* acc n) (dec n)])
We can generate the endless sequence of possible pairs for a given noby applying iterate to the function above, starting with [no 1].
(fn [no]
(iterate (fn [[n acc]] [(* acc n) (dec n)]) [no 1]))
Applying this to 1 generates
([1 1] [1 0] [0 0] [0 -1] ...)
We stop at element 2, the first with an initial 0, returning the other 0.
If we put the arguments the right way round, we can get the proper factorial thus:
(defn factorial [no]
((comp second first)
(drop-while
(comp not zero? first)
(iterate (fn [[n acc]] [(dec n) (* acc n)]) [no 1]))))
This returns the second element of the first pair in the sequence with a zero first (Duh!).
Hopelessly overcomplicated for normal use, but does it work?
=> (map factorial (range 6))
(1 1 2 6 24 120)
Yes.

Related

How to return a lazy sequence from a loop recur with a conditional in Clojure?

Still very new to Clojure and programming in general so forgive the stupid question.
The problem is:
Find n and k such that the sum of numbers up to n (exclusive) is equal to the sum of numbers from n+1 to k (inclusive).
My solution (which works fine) is to define the following functions:
(defn addd [x] (/ (* x (+ x 1)) 2))
(defn sum-to-n [n] (addd(- n 1)))
(defn sum-to-k [n=1 k=4] (- (addd k) (addd n)))
(defn is-right[n k]
(= (addd (- n 1)) (sum-to-k n k)))
And then run the following loop:
(loop [n 1 k 2]
(cond
(is-right n k) [n k]
(> (sum-to-k n k) (sum-to-n n) )(recur (inc n) k)
:else (recur n (inc k))))
This only returns one answer but if I manually set n and k I can get different values. However, I would like to define a function which returns a lazy sequence of all values so that:
(= [6 8] (take 1 make-seq))
How do I do this as efficiently as possible? I have tried various things but haven't had much luck.
Thanks
:Edit:
I think I came up with a better way of doing it, but its returning 'let should be a vector'. Clojure docs aren't much help...
Heres the new code:
(defn calc-n [n k]
(inc (+ (* 2 k) (* 3 n))))
(defn calc-k [n k]
(inc (+ (* 3 k)(* 4 n))))
(defn f
(let [n 4 k 6]
(recur (calc-n n k) (calc-k n k))))
(take 4 (f))
Yes, you can create a lazy-seq, so that the next iteration will take result of the previous iteration. Here is my suggestion:
(defn cal [n k]
(loop [n n k k]
(cond
(is-right n k) [n k]
(> (sum-to-k n k) (sum-to-n n) )(recur (inc n) k)
:else (recur n (inc k)))))
(defn make-seq [n k]
(if-let [[n1 k1] (cal n k)]
(cons [n1 k1]
(lazy-seq (make-seq (inc n1) (inc k1))))))
(take 5 (make-seq 1 2))
;;=> ([6 8] [35 49] [204 288] [1189 1681] [6930 9800])
just generating lazy seq of candidatess with iterate and then filtering them should probably be what you need:
(def pairs
(->> [1 2]
(iterate (fn [[n k]]
(if (< (sum-to-n n) (sum-n-to-k n k))
[(inc n) k]
[n (inc k)])))
(filter (partial apply is-right))))
user> (take 5 pairs)
;;=> ([6 8] [35 49] [204 288] [1189 1681] [6930 9800])
semantically it is just like manually generating a lazy-seq, and should be as efficient, but this one is probably more idiomatic
If you don't feel like "rolling your own", here is an alternate solution. I also cleaned up the algorithm a bit through renaming/reformating.
The main difference is that you treat your loop-recur as an infinite loop inside of the t/lazy-gen form. When you find a value you want to keep, you use the t/yield expression to create a lazy-sequence of outputs. This structure is the Clojure version of a generator function, just like in Python.
(ns tst.demo.core
(:use tupelo.test )
(:require [tupelo.core :as t] ))
(defn integrate-to [x]
(/ (* x (+ x 1)) 2))
(defn sum-to-n [n]
(integrate-to (- n 1)))
(defn sum-n-to-k [n k]
(- (integrate-to k) (integrate-to n)))
(defn sums-match[n k]
(= (sum-to-n n) (sum-n-to-k n k)))
(defn recur-gen []
(t/lazy-gen
(loop [n 1 k 2]
(when (sums-match n k)
(t/yield [n k]))
(if (< (sum-to-n n) (sum-n-to-k n k))
(recur (inc n) k)
(recur n (inc k))))))
with results:
-------------------------------
Clojure 1.10.1 Java 13
-------------------------------
(take 5 (recur-gen)) => ([6 8] [35 49] [204 288] [1189 1681] [6930 9800])
You can find all of the details in the Tupelo Library.
This first function probably has a better name from math, but I don't know math very well. I'd use inc (increment) instead of (+ ,,, 1), but that's just personal preference.
(defn addd [x]
(/ (* x (inc x)) 2))
I'll slightly clean up the spacing here and use the dec (decrement) function.
(defn sum-to-n [n]
(addd (dec n)))
(defn sum-n-to-k [n k]
(- (addd k) (addd n)))
In some languages predicates, functions that return booleans,
have names like is-odd or is-whatever. In clojure they're usually
called odd? or whatever?.
The question-mark is not syntax, it's just part of the name.
(defn matching-sums? [n k]
(= (addd (dec n)) (sum-n-to-k n k)))
The loop special form is kind of like an anonymous function
for recur to jump back to. If there's no loop form, recur jumps back
to the enclosing function.
Also, dunno what to call this so I'll just call it f.
(defn f [n k]
(cond
(matching-sums? n k) [n k]
(> (sum-n-to-k n k) (sum-to-n n)) (recur (inc n) k)
:else (recur n (inc k))))
(comment
(f 1 2) ;=> [6 8]
(f 7 9) ;=> [35 49]
)
Now, for your actual question. How to make a lazy sequence. You can use the lazy-seq macro, like in minhtuannguyen's answer, but there's an easier, higher level way. Use the iterate function. iterate takes a function and a value and returns an infinite sequence of the value followed by calling the function with the value, followed by calling the function on that value etc.
(defn make-seq [init]
(iterate (fn [n-and-k]
(let [n (first n-and-k)
k (second n-and-k)]
(f (inc n) (inc k))))
init))
(comment
(take 4 (make-seq [1 2])) ;=> ([1 2] [6 8] [35 49] [204 288])
)
That can be simplified a bit by using destructuring in the argument-vector of the anonymous function.
(defn make-seq [init]
(iterate (fn [[n k]]
(f (inc n) (inc k)))
init))
Edit:
About the repeated calculations in f.
By saving the result of the calculations using a let, you can avoid calculating addd multiple times for each number.
(defn f [n k]
(let [to-n (sum-to-n n)
n-to-k (sum-n-to-k n k)]
(cond
(= to-n n-to-k) [n k]
(> n-to-k to-n) (recur (inc n) k)
:else (recur n (inc k)))))

Clojure: Why surrounding an expression with extra parenthesis gives NullPointerException [duplicate]

Trying to define a factors function that will return a vector of all the factors of a number using loop/recur.
;; `prime?` borrowed from https://swizec.com/blog/comparing-clojure-and-node-js-for-speed/swizec/1593
(defn prime? [n]
(if (even? n) false
(let [root (num (int (Math/sqrt n)))]
(loop [i 3] (if (> i root) true
(if (zero? (mod n i)) false
(recur (+ i 2))))))))
(defn factors [x] (
(loop [n x i 2 acc []]
(if (prime? n) (conj acc n)
(if (zero? (mod n i)) (recur (/ n i) 2 (conj acc i))
(recur n (inc i) acc))))))
But I keep running into the following error:
ArityException Wrong number of args (0) passed to: PersistentVector clojure.lang.AFn.throwArity
I must be missing something obvious here. Any suggestions are much appreciated!
Let me move the whitespace in your code so it's obvious to you what is wrong:
(defn factors [x]
((loop [n x i 2 acc []]
(if (prime? n) (conj acc n)
(if (zero? (mod n i)) (recur (/ n i) 2 (conj acc i))
(recur n (inc i) acc))))))
You see that weird (( at the start of your function? What's that all about? Remember that in Clojure, as in lisps in general, parentheses are not a grouping construct! They are a function-call mechanism, and you can't just throw extras in for fun. Here, what you wrote has the following meaning:
Run this loop that will compute a vector.
Call the resulting value as a function, passing it no arguments.

Wrong number of args (0) passed to: PersistentVector on loop/recur function

Trying to define a factors function that will return a vector of all the factors of a number using loop/recur.
;; `prime?` borrowed from https://swizec.com/blog/comparing-clojure-and-node-js-for-speed/swizec/1593
(defn prime? [n]
(if (even? n) false
(let [root (num (int (Math/sqrt n)))]
(loop [i 3] (if (> i root) true
(if (zero? (mod n i)) false
(recur (+ i 2))))))))
(defn factors [x] (
(loop [n x i 2 acc []]
(if (prime? n) (conj acc n)
(if (zero? (mod n i)) (recur (/ n i) 2 (conj acc i))
(recur n (inc i) acc))))))
But I keep running into the following error:
ArityException Wrong number of args (0) passed to: PersistentVector clojure.lang.AFn.throwArity
I must be missing something obvious here. Any suggestions are much appreciated!
Let me move the whitespace in your code so it's obvious to you what is wrong:
(defn factors [x]
((loop [n x i 2 acc []]
(if (prime? n) (conj acc n)
(if (zero? (mod n i)) (recur (/ n i) 2 (conj acc i))
(recur n (inc i) acc))))))
You see that weird (( at the start of your function? What's that all about? Remember that in Clojure, as in lisps in general, parentheses are not a grouping construct! They are a function-call mechanism, and you can't just throw extras in for fun. Here, what you wrote has the following meaning:
Run this loop that will compute a vector.
Call the resulting value as a function, passing it no arguments.

How does this continuation-passing style Clojure function generator work?

This is from the Joy of Clojure, 2nd Edition. http://www.manning.com/fogus2/
(defn mk-cps [accept? kend kont]
(fn [n]
((fn [n k]
(let [cont (fn [v] (k ((partial kont v) n)))]
(if (accept? n)
(k 1)
(recur (dec n) cont))))
n kend)))
Then to make a factorial:
(def fac (mk-cps zero? identity #(* %1 %2)))
My understanding:
mm-cps generates a function which takes in n, the fn [n]
the function inside, fn [n k], is initially called with n and kend
the continuation function cont [v] is defined as (calling k with the partial application of kont with v) as the first parameter and n as the second parameter. Why would this be written using partial instead of simply (k (cont v n)) ?
if the accept? function passes, then finish the recursion, applying k to 1.
otherwise, the recur recurs back to fn [n k] with a decremented n, and with the continuation function.
all throughout, kont does not change.
Am I right that k isn't actually executed until the final (k 1)?
So, (fac 3) is expanded first to (* 1 (* 2 3)) before being evaluated.
I don't have the book, but I assume the motivating example is
(defn fact-n [n]
(if (zero? n)
1
(* n (recur (dec n)))))
;=> CompilerException: Can only recur from tail position
And that last form has to be written (* n (fact-n (dec n))) instead, not tail-recursive. The problem is there is something remaining to be done after the recursion, namely multiplication by n.
What continuation passing style does is turn this inside out. Instead of applying what remains of the current context/continuation after the recursive call returns, pass the context/continuation into the recursive call to apply when complete. Instead of implicitly storing continuations on the stack as call frames, we explicitly accumulate them via function composition.
In this case, we add an additional argument k to our factorial, a function that does what we would have done after the recursive call returns.
(defn fact-nk [n k]
(if (zero? n)
(k 1)
(recur (dec n) (comp k (partial * n)))))
The first k in is the last one out. Ultimately here we just want to return the value calculated, so the first k in should be the identity function.
Here's the base case:
(fact-nk 0 identity)
;== (identity 1)
;=> 1
Here's n = 3:
(fact-nk 3 identity)
;== (fact-nk 2 (comp identity (partial * 3)))
;== (fact-nk 1 (comp identity (partial * 3) (partial * 2)))
;== (fact-nk 0 (comp identity (partial * 3) (partial * 2) (partial * 1)))
;== ((comp identity (partial * 3) (partial * 2) (partial * 1)) 1)
;== ((comp identity (partial * 3) (partial * 2)) 1)
;== ((comp identity (partial * 3)) 2)
;== ((comp identity) 6)
;== (identity 6)
;=> 6
Compare to the non-tail recursive version
(fact-n 3)
;== (* 3 (fact-n 2))
;== (* 3 (* 2 (fact-n 1)))
;== (* 3 (* 2 (* 1 (fact-n 0))))
;== (* 3 (* 2 (* 1 1)))
;== (* 3 (* 2 1))
;== (* 3 2)
;=> 6
Now to make this a bit more flexible, we could factor out the zero? and the * and make them variable arguments instead.
A first approach would be
(defn cps-anck [accept? n c k]
(if (accept? n)
(k 1)
(recur accept?, (dec n), c, (comp k (partial c n)))))
But since accept? and c are not changing, we could lift then out and recur to an inner anonymous function instead. Clojure has a special form for this, loop.
(defn cps-anckl [accept? n c k]
(loop [n n, k k]
(if (accept? n)
(k 1)
(recur (dec n) (comp k (partial c n))))))
And finally we might want to turn this into a function generator that pulls in n.
(defn gen-cps [accept? c k]
(fn [n]
(loop [n n, k k]
(if (accept? n)
(k 1)
(recur (dec n) (comp k (partial c n)))))))
And that is how I would write mk-cps (note: last two arguments reversed).
(def factorial (gen-cps zero? * identity))
(factorial 5)
;=> 120
(def triangular-number (gen-cps #{1} + identity))
(triangular-number 5)
;=> 15

What's a more idiomatic and concise way of writing Pascal's Triangle with Clojure?

I implemented a naive solution for printing a Pascal's Triangle of N depth which I'll include below. My question is, in what ways could this be improved to make it more idiomatic? I feel like there are a number of things that seem overly verbose or awkward, for example, this if block feels unnatural: (if (zero? (+ a b)) 1 (+ a b)). Any feedback is appreciated, thank you!
(defn add-row [cnt acc]
(let [prev (last acc)]
(loop [n 0 row []]
(if (= n cnt)
row
(let [a (nth prev (- n 1) 0)
b (nth prev n 0)]
(recur (inc n) (conj row (if (zero? (+ a b)) 1 (+ a b)))))))))
(defn pascals-triangle [n]
(loop [cnt 1 acc []]
(if (> cnt n)
acc
(recur (inc cnt) (conj acc (add-row cnt acc))))))
(defn pascal []
(iterate (fn [row]
(map +' `(0 ~#row) `(~#row 0)))
[1]))
Or if you're going for maximum concision:
(defn pascal []
(->> [1] (iterate #(map +' `(0 ~#%) `(~#% 0)))))
To expand on this: the higher-order-function perspective is to look at your original definition and realize something like: "I'm actually just computing a function f on an initial value, and then calling f again, and then f again...". That's a common pattern, and so there's a function defined to cover the boring details for you, letting you just specify f and the initial value. And because it returns a lazy sequence, you don't have to specify n now: you can defer that, and work with the full infinite sequence, with whatever terminating condition you want.
For example, perhaps I don't want the first n rows, I just want to find the first row whose sum is a perfect square. Then I can just (first (filter (comp perfect-square? sum) (pascal))), without having to worry about how large an n I'll need to choose up front (assuming the obvious definitions of perfect-square? and sum).
Thanks to fogus for an improvement: I need to use +' rather than just + so that this doesn't overflow when it gets past Long/MAX_VALUE.
(defn next-row [row]
(concat [1] (map +' row (drop 1 row)) [1]))
(defn pascals-triangle [n]
(take n (iterate next-row '(1))))
Not as terse as the others, but here's mine:)
(defn A []
(iterate
(comp (partial map (partial reduce +))
(partial partition-all 2 1) (partial cons 0))
[1]))