having problems with mergesort algorithm - java

I am currently trying to transcribe a mergesort algorithm from a pseudocode level to a working implementation in java. This is my code
public int[] merge(int a[], int b[]) {
int c[] = new int[a.length + b.length];
int i = 0, j = 0;
for (int k = 0; k < c.length; k++) {
if (a[i] <= b[j]) {
c[k] = a[i++];
} else {
c[k] = b[j++];
}
}
return c;
}
The pseudocode interpretation is correct to the best of my knowledge but it keeps returning an ArrayOutofBound Exception.
Where did I get it all wrong.

This would obviously give the out of bound exception because you are not keeping track of the length of a and b arrays . Since k = a + b , a and b will always be less than k . Hence the exception.
And when you apply this check, remember to copy the remaining of the items, whether they are of a[] or b[] , to copy them to c[]. See this -
for(;i<a.length;i++)
c[k++] = a[i++];
for(;j<b.length;b++)
c[k++] = b[j++];

The merge algorithm in the way you intend to implement it is a bit more elaborated, below you'll find a correct implementation:
public int[] merge(int a[], int b[]) {
int i = 0, j = 0, k = 0;
int m = a.length, n = b.length;
int[] c = new int[m + n];
// Merge to the end of one of the source arrays
while (i < m && j < n) {
if (a[i] <= b[j]) {
c[k] = a[i];
i++;
} else {
c[k] = b[j];
j++;
}
k++;
}
// Determine which source array has elements remaining and
// append those to the result array
if (i < m) {
for (int p = i; p < m; p++) {
c[k] = a[p];
k++;
}
} else {
for (int p = j; p < n; p++) {
c[k] = b[p];
k++;
}
}
return c;
}

Related

Merge sort algorithm not working

Here is my code for a mergesort in java:
public class MergeSort {
public static void mergesort(int[] input) {
int inputSize = input.length;
if(inputSize < 2) {
return;
}
int[] left = new int[inputSize/2];
int[] right = new int[inputSize/2];
int count = 0;
for(int i=0; i < inputSize/2; i++) {
left[i] = input[i];
}
for(int i=inputSize/2; i<inputSize; i++) {
right[count] = input[i];
count++;
}
mergesort(left);
mergesort(right);
merge(left, right, input);
}
public static int[] merge(int[] returnArr, int[] left, int[] right) {
int leftSize = left.length;
int rightSize = right.length;
int i = 0;
int j =0;
int k = 0;
int count = 0;
while(i < leftSize && j < rightSize) {
if(left[i] <= right[j]) {
returnArr[k] = left[i];
i++;
}
else {
returnArr[k] = right[j];
j++;
}
k++;
}
while(i<leftSize) {
returnArr[k] = left[i];
i++;
k++;
}
while(j < rightSize) {
returnArr[k] = right[j];
j++;
k++;
}
for(int x=0; x<returnArr.length; x++) {
System.out.print(returnArr[x]);
}
return returnArr;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] array = {3,4,6,2,7,1,8,6};
mergesort(array);
}
}
My issue is that I'm getting an out of bounds exception.
I'm using the debugger and have found that after mergesort(left) and mergesort(right) have finished recursively running.
The arrays left and right, which go into the merge function, have the values [3] and [4] respectively, which is correct.
But when the debugger jumps into the merge function, left has value [3] and right, for some reason is length 2 and has the value [3,4].
This is the source of my out of bounds exception, though I'm not sure why when the merge function runs for its first time, it changes the value of "right".
One problem that is readily visible is that the you shouldn't make 2 arrays of size inputSize/2. Make two arrays of inputSize/2 and inputsize-inputSize/2. Otherwise the algorithm would fail for odd length array.
Also call the function with proper order of the arguments. merge( input, left, right);
I fixed your code and merged them to 1 method, left.length and right.length are limited by input.length so you only need to loop by input.length:
public static void mergeSort(int[] input)
{
if (input.length < 2)
{
return;
}
int[] left = new int[input.length / 2];
int[] right = new int[input.length - input.length / 2];
for (int i = 0; i < input.length; i++)
{
if (i < input.length / 2)
left[i] = input[i];
else
right[i - input.length / 2] = input[i];
}
mergeSort(left);
mergeSort(right);
for (int i = 0, l = 0, r = 0; i < input.length; i++)
{
if (l >= left.length)
{
input[i] = right[r];
r++;
}
else if (r >= right.length)
{
input[i] = left[l];
l++;
}
else
{
if (left[l] >= right[r])
{
input[i] = right[r];
r++;
}
else
{
input[i] = left[l];
l++;
}
}
}
}
you had two problems with your code:
1- as #coderredoc said: your left and right array sizes are wrong:
exemple: if you had an array of 7 elements, your left and right arrays would have a size of 7/2 = 3 so you would have a total of 6 elements in left and right arrays and not 7.
2- you are calling merge function in the mergeSort function with wrong parameters order:
it should be returnArr, left, right and not left,right, returnArr.
Explanation:
if you pass the left array as the first parameter, it would merge the right and the returnArr in the left array. But your left array has a size of 3 and the sum of the sizes of the others is 7 + 3 = 10 that's why you got an OutOfBoundsException.
you need to call merge(input,left,right);
here is the final version:
public class MergeSort {
public static void mergesort(int[] input) {
int inputSize = input.length;
if(inputSize < 2) {
return;
}
int[] left = new int[inputSize/2];
int[] right = new int[inputSize-inputSize/2];
int count = 0;
for(int i=0; i < inputSize/2; i++) {
left[i] = input[i];
}
for(int i=inputSize/2; i<inputSize; i++) {
right[count] = input[i];
count++;
}
mergesort(left);
mergesort(right);
merge(input,left, right);
}
public static int[] merge(int[] returnArr, int[] left, int[] right) {
int leftSize = left.length;
int rightSize = right.length;
int i = 0;
int j =0;
int k = 0;
int count = 0;
while(i < leftSize && j < rightSize) {
if(left[i] <= right[j]) {
returnArr[k] = left[i];
i++;
}
else {
returnArr[k] = right[j];
j++;
}
k++;
}
while(i<leftSize) {
returnArr[k] = left[i];
i++;
k++;
}
while(j < rightSize) {
returnArr[k] = right[j];
j++;
k++;
}
for(int x=0; x<returnArr.length; x++) {
System.out.print(returnArr[x]);
}
return returnArr;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] array = {3,4,6,2,7,1,8,6};
mergesort(array);
}
}

exception in merge for non-iterative mergesort algorithm

I'm trying to create a non-recursive version of MergeSort but for some reason merge is keeping the code from running in its entirety.
Mergesort Code:
public void mergeSort(int[] input)
{
int n = input.length;
int size;
int l;
for (size = 1; size <= n-1; size = 2*size)
{
for (l = 0; l < n-1; l += 2*size)
{
int m = l + size -1;
int r = minimum(l + 2*size - 1, n-1);
merge(input, l, m, r);
}
}
}
Merge code:
public static void merge(int[] numbers, int low, int middle, int high)
{
// Copy both parts into the helper array
int helper[];
helper = new int[numbers.length];
for (int i = low; i <= high; i++) {
helper[i] = numbers[i];
}
int i = low;
int j = middle + 1;
int k = low;
// Copy the smallest values from either the left or the right side back
// to the original array
while (i <= middle && j <= high) {
if (helper[i] <= helper[j]) {
numbers[k] = helper[i];
i++;
} else {
numbers[k] = helper[j];
j++;
}
k++;
}
// Copy the rest of the left side of the array into the target array
while (i <= middle) {
numbers[k] = helper[i];
k++;
i++;
}
}
This is how I fill up the input array (which is of size 100):
public static int fillArray()
{
Random r = new Random();
int rand = r.nextInt();
return rand;
}
//followed by these lines of code in the main method:
int[] arr;
arr = new int[100];
for(int i =0; i<arr.length; i++)
{
arr[i] = fillArray();
}
The exception is with numbers[k] = helper[i] in merge().
I know that the contents of the input array are fine because I print out the contents of the array before I perform MergeSort on it. Does anyone know what the problem is?
Fix the m in mergeSort() like this:
int m = Math.min(l + size - 1, n - 1);
You didn't mention what exception you get but I assume its array out of bounds. What prevents your middle variable from exceeding the size of the array?
while (i <= middle) {
numbers[k] = helper[i];
k++;
i++;
}
Put in debugging prints etc.

Merge sort for string getting null pointer exception?

void MERGE(String[]A, int p, int q, int r) {
int n1 = q - p + 2;
int n2 = r - q + 1;
String[] L = new String[n1];
String[] R = new String[n2];
int i,j;
for (i = 0; i < L.length; i++) {
L[i] = A[p+i];
}
for (j = 0; i < R.length; j++) {
R[j] = A[q+j+1];
}
L[n1-1] = "";
R[n2-1] = "";
i = 0;
j = 0;
for (int k = p; k <= r; k++) {
if (L[i].compareToIgnoreCase(R[j]) < 0) {
A[k] = L[i];
i++;
}
else {
A[k] = R[j];
j++;
}
}
}
public void MERGE_SORT(String[] A, int p, int r) {
if (p < r) {
int q = (p+r)/2;
MERGE_SORT(A, p, q);
MERGE_SORT(A, q+1, r);
MERGE(A, p, q, r);
}
}
This algorithm was originally for integers this how I changed it to sort strings. I get a NullPointerException. The problem seems to be at the compareToIgnoreCase() line. is this even how you implement mergesort for strings?
public static void main(String[] args) {
String[] sA = {"Jack", "John", "Mike", "Moss", "Xo"};
Sort ob = new Sort();
ob.MERGE_SORT(sA, 0, sA.length - 1);
}
The second for-loop in method MERGE uses the wrong variable i (instead of j) for checking the upper bound (i < R.length). It should be:
for (j = 0; j < R.length; j++) {
R[j] = A[q+j+1];
}
Apart from that, there are two other issues in the code:
(1) The for-loops for initializing L and R should run to L.length - 1 respectively R.length - 1:
for (i = 0; i < L.length - 1; i++) {
L[i] = A[p + i];
}
for (j = 0; j < R.length - 1; j++) {
R[j] = A[q + j + 1];
}
(2) You are using a sentinel in L and R at the last place to guarantee that the merging for-loop never exceeds the arrays. This sentinel should be larger than the largest possible value in the array. In case of an int[] this could be Integer.MAX_VALUE (which is just as large as the largest possible element, but this might be acceptable). But as you have arrays of String, you'd need the largest possible String value. You are using the empty String ("") instead, which is the smallest possible String:
L[n1 - 1] = "";
R[n2 - 1] = "";
For testing, you can use something like "ZZZ", but you should rewrite the merging algorithm to work without sentinel:
L[n1 - 1] = "ZZZ";
R[n2 - 1] = "ZZZ";

Creating Bottom-Up MergeSort in Java

I am writing code for a bottom-up mergeSort in Java. Right now, I think there may be an indexing issue with the call to merge, but I am having trouble figuring out exactly what my problem is. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
public static int[] merge(int[]a, int lo1, int hi1, int lo2, int hi2) {
int[]b = new int[hi2-lo1+1];
int i = lo1;
int j = lo2;
int k = 0;
while (i <= hi1 && j <= hi2) {
if(a[i] < a[j])
b[k++] = a[i++];
else
b[k++]=a[j++];
}
while (i <= hi1)
b[k++] = a[i++];
while (j <= hi2)
b[k++] = a[j++];
for (int l = 0; l < k; l++)
a[lo1 + l] = b[l];
return a; //added
}
public static int[] betterMergeSort(int[]a, int lo, int hi){
for (int comparesize=1; comparesize < (hi-lo+1); comparesize*=2) {
for (int k=lo; k < hi; k+=2*comparesize) {
int[]holder = new int[Math.min(k+2*comparesize-1,hi)-lo+1];
holder = merge(a, k, k+comparesize-1, k+comparesize, Math.min(k+2*comparesize-1, hi));
if (holder.length == (hi-lo+1)){
for (int j=0; j<(hi-lo+1); j++)
a[lo+j] = holder[j];
}
}
}
return a;
}
Note that I need this code to return int[] for now in order to check its accuracy.

Modified Bubble Sort

I need to write an algorithm that will take an array of ints and find the k'th largest element in the array. The caveat here is that the runtime must be O(K*n) or better.
My teacher has made it clear this can be done with a modified bubble sort program, but I am unsure as to how I can modify the bubble sort without ruining it, as I would think it necessary to loop through every element of the array. Here is my code (just the shell of the program and an unmodified bubble sort):
public int kthLargest(int[] A, int k){
int[] sorted = A;
int temp;
for (int i = (A.length - 1); i >= 0; i--)
{
for (int j = 1; j <= i; j++)
{
if (sorted[j-1] < sorted[j])
{
temp = sorted[j-1];
sorted[j-1] = sorted[j];
sorted[j] = temp;
}
}
}
return sorted[k-1];
}
Figured it out:
public int kthLargest(int[] A, int k){
int[] sorted = A;
int temp;
for (int i = 0; i < A.length-1; i++)
{
for (int j = 0; j < A.length-i-1; j++)
{
if (sorted[j] > sorted[j+1])
{
temp = sorted[j];
sorted[j] = sorted[j+1];
sorted[j+1] = temp;
}
if(i == (k-1)) return A[A.length-i-1];
}
}
return sorted[A.length-k];
}
The the array has been sorted to the k-th largest element, it has found what it is looking for and can stop the sort and return.
I thought a modified bubble sort just exited early if the list was already sorted?
Wouldn't something like this suffice?
public int kthLargest(int[] A, int k){
int[] sorted = A;
int temp;
bool bSorted = TRUE;
for (int i = (A.length - 1); i >= 0; i--)
{
for (int j = 1; j <= i; j++)
{
if (sorted[j-1] < sorted[j])
{
temp = sorted[j-1];
sorted[j-1] = sorted[j];
sorted[j] = temp;
bSorted = FALSE;
}
}
if(bSorted)
break;
}
return sorted[k-1];
}

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