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Randomly Sort an Array


picea892
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whatever Edited by MvGulik

"Straight_and_Crooked_Thinking" : A "classic guide to ferreting out untruths, half-truths, and other distortions of facts in political and social discussions."
"The Secrets of Quantum Physics" : New and excellent 2 part documentary on Quantum Physics by Jim Al-Khalili. (Dec 2014)

"Believing what you know ain't so" ...

Knock Knock ...
 

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  • 4 months later...

It's plain that A[N-1] _will_ be swapped and it can only be swapped once. So we're sure that A[N-1] doesn't contain the initial value stored in A[N-1] input array. The fact that this is certain goes against true [pseudo-]randomness.

I wanted to comment on this since I am using the Fisher-Yates algo. I believe this part of your analysis is incorrect. There is absolutely the possibility that A[N-1] will NOT be swapped. Even in your code sample you allow for this:

j = random integer with 0 ≤ j ≤ i

This allows j to be equal to i which on the first pass is N-1, and so not swapping A[N-1]. Therefore there is no need for the final pass where you suggest exchanging A[N-1] again with an index 0..N-2.

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You're perfectly right on this. There is no such problem with the algorithm as stated, contrary to what I said.

I realized that shortly after posting but forgot to update the post at once. Then time passed by and ... pffft!

Edit: post now updated. I apologize for smoking weird stuff.

Edited by jchd

This wonderful site allows debugging and testing regular expressions (many flavors available). An absolute must have in your bookmarks.
Another excellent RegExp tutorial. Don't forget downloading your copy of up-to-date pcretest.exe and pcregrep.exe here
RegExp tutorial: enough to get started
PCRE v8.33 regexp documentation latest available release and currently implemented in AutoIt beta.

SQLitespeed is another feature-rich premier SQLite manager (includes import/export). Well worth a try.
SQLite Expert (freeware Personal Edition or payware Pro version) is a very useful SQLite database manager.
An excellent eBook covering almost every aspect of SQLite3: a must-read for anyone doing serious work.
SQL tutorial (covers "generic" SQL, but most of it applies to SQLite as well)
A work-in-progress SQLite3 tutorial. Don't miss other LxyzTHW pages!
SQLite official website with full documentation (may be newer than the SQLite library that comes standard with AutoIt)

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No I didn't remove anything. I just stroke thru my bullshit prose and ghost rambling of mine.

This wonderful site allows debugging and testing regular expressions (many flavors available). An absolute must have in your bookmarks.
Another excellent RegExp tutorial. Don't forget downloading your copy of up-to-date pcretest.exe and pcregrep.exe here
RegExp tutorial: enough to get started
PCRE v8.33 regexp documentation latest available release and currently implemented in AutoIt beta.

SQLitespeed is another feature-rich premier SQLite manager (includes import/export). Well worth a try.
SQLite Expert (freeware Personal Edition or payware Pro version) is a very useful SQLite database manager.
An excellent eBook covering almost every aspect of SQLite3: a must-read for anyone doing serious work.
SQL tutorial (covers "generic" SQL, but most of it applies to SQLite as well)
A work-in-progress SQLite3 tutorial. Don't miss other LxyzTHW pages!
SQLite official website with full documentation (may be newer than the SQLite library that comes standard with AutoIt)

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No I didn't remove anything. I just stroke thru my bullshit prose and ghost rambling of mine.

No I meant "iEvKI3gv9Wrkd41u" before he changed his name and emptied pretty much every one of his posts on this forum for some reason. (Also seems to use Comic Sans, just to annoy my gf)

Right after I linked to my function on page 2 he posted a more effecient function that I believe swapped each index at least once. Now it's just me, talking to myself there.

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@jchd

No problem :) I know this was a pretty old post, but figured I'd post since I was using the algo. I did a search around the forum looking for other methods, but none was as elegant. I actually first came across it as a javascript implementation that someone 'ported' from PHP.

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You know that two pairs of eyes are better than any single one. None of us are exception and I'm always happy to learn from my own mistakes, without any shame beyond "OMG what a dumbass am I". The ones claiming never being dumbasses to some extent are just liars.

I picked the algorithm in Knuth's TAOCP vol 2 (Semi-numerical algorithms), 2nd ed. as algorithm P at page 139.

As D. Knuth (humbly!) pointed out in a private letter (he always answers mails thru handwriten letters!), his citation of Peirce is still pending (p. 516 of above book):

This branch of mathematics is the only one, I believe,

in which good writers frequently get results entirely erroneous.

... It may be doubted if there is a single

extensive treatise on probabilities in existence

which does not contain solutions absolutely indefensible.

This wonderful site allows debugging and testing regular expressions (many flavors available). An absolute must have in your bookmarks.
Another excellent RegExp tutorial. Don't forget downloading your copy of up-to-date pcretest.exe and pcregrep.exe here
RegExp tutorial: enough to get started
PCRE v8.33 regexp documentation latest available release and currently implemented in AutoIt beta.

SQLitespeed is another feature-rich premier SQLite manager (includes import/export). Well worth a try.
SQLite Expert (freeware Personal Edition or payware Pro version) is a very useful SQLite database manager.
An excellent eBook covering almost every aspect of SQLite3: a must-read for anyone doing serious work.
SQL tutorial (covers "generic" SQL, but most of it applies to SQLite as well)
A work-in-progress SQLite3 tutorial. Don't miss other LxyzTHW pages!
SQLite official website with full documentation (may be newer than the SQLite library that comes standard with AutoIt)

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... and emptied pretty much every one of his posts on this forum ...

You wish. ... I did not even come close.

Btw. Code was fake and tests where rigged if I remember correct.

And cheers to your Girlfriend(s).

Edited by iEvKI3gv9Wrkd41u

"Straight_and_Crooked_Thinking" : A "classic guide to ferreting out untruths, half-truths, and other distortions of facts in political and social discussions."
"The Secrets of Quantum Physics" : New and excellent 2 part documentary on Quantum Physics by Jim Al-Khalili. (Dec 2014)

"Believing what you know ain't so" ...

Knock Knock ...
 

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