Data Structure to retrieve list of numbers between 2 given numbers in a Array

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi Team,

I have a array of integers = [1,3,2,5,4,6, 9,1, 11, 13, 7,12, 0]
My Input is startIndex = 3 & endIndex = 11

total numbers between (3 & 11) inclusive of start and end index = [3, 2, 5,4,6,9,1,11] = 8 (total numbers)

Which data structure can perform this operation in an efficient way & how?

Please share your thoughts.

Regards,
Prabhu

[Tushar Goel]

What do you think about it? What is your proposal?

[Tushar Goel]

My thought is:

 numberwBetween(input, a, b)
   startFlag = false
   endFlag  = false
   for i <- 0 to n - 1
       number = input[i]
       if a equals number
            startFlag = true
       if b equals number
            endFlag = true 
       if startFlag and !endFlag 
           print input[i]

[Campbell Ritchie]

What do you mean by start index? That is not an index. You mean starting value and ending value.
What will happen if there is no 3 or no 11 in your array? What will happen with this array?
[1, 2, 69, 4]
How are you going to find 3 and 11?
What about this array, which does have 3 and 11 in?
[12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0]

[Tushar Goel]

What about this array, which does have 3 and 11 in?

Thanks Campbell.. I forgot about this..

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi Tushal/Campbell,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Yes, it's start and end value.

Case 1: if the start & end value (3,7) are not in array {2, 1,8,5,4} output array should be empty {} and the count will be zero

Case 2: if start & end value (3,7) in the given array {2,1,8,7,4,6,11,10,3,5} then the output array should be {3,5,2,1,8,7} and count will be 6 inclusive of start and end value

Regards,
Prabhu

[Paweł Baczyński]

More things needed clarification.
What should be a result if there is only one match? Example, {1, 2, 3, 4} against start/end 2 and 5?
What is there is more than one match? Example, {1, 2, 5, 1, 3 ,1, 3, 4, 5, 4, 2, 1, 5} against 2 and 5?
What if start and end are the same? Example {1, 2, 3, 2, 1} against 2 and 2?

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi pawel,

Topic is getting more interesting, I'm learning something new from you guys. Thank you

Case 1 will be no result found
Case 2 when there is multiple match we can have two result set one with the closest match and the second will be the last value match
Case 3 start and end value can be same

[Campbell Ritchie]

What you need to do is provide some specification for the problem which will cover all those cases.

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi Team,

Below is some specifications for my problem: {3,1,2,1,5,6,0,9,13,7,12,11,8,-1,10}

Case 1: Start Value: 2 End value: 7
output: {2,1,5,6,9,13,7} [Note: '0' can be ignored]
Total count between no 2 & 7 (inclusive of start & end no): 7

Case 2: Start Value: -1 End Value: 2
output: {-1, 10,3,1,2}
Total Count between no -1 & 2 (inclusive of start & end no): 5

Case 1: I am clear with this

Case 2: ?? not clear on how to perform this logic

[Campbell Ritchie]

That is not a specification. A few examples do not constitute a specification.

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi Team,

In this array: {3,1,2,1,5,6,0,9,13,7,12,11,8,-1,10} how to retrieve the numbers between two given no: startValue = 7 & endValue = 5?

is there a way to iterate using recursive function or what would be the best way to achieve this?


Regards,
Prabhu

[Campbell Ritchie]

Start by writing down on paper which numbers are between start = 7 and end = 5.

If you do not have a specification for such exercises, you will not be able to do them.

[prabhu pandurangan]

Hi Camphell,

What do you mean by specification here?

Here is my specification: "How to get the elements between 3 and 11? in the given array [12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] ".

Please Ranch Hand's with proper solution or direct them in a right way; instead of giving a reply like this 'Start by writing down on paper which numbers are between start = 7 and end = 5.'

Regards,
Prabhu

[Campbell Ritchie]

When you wrote down the numbers between start = 5 and end = 5, what did you get? Did you get any at all?

It is not my business to be clear about 3 to 11 in that array. It is your business. If you aren't clear about it, nobody can solve it. You have to tell us what you mean by 3 to 11 because otherwise nobody knows.