Binary Search Using Lambda

Ruby
1

Greetings,

I’ve been playing around with various ways to write a function that
does a binary search on an array of integers.
Below is one of my implementations. I’m wondering if it is possible
to avoid passing the function to itself
in order to achieve the recursive call. While I’m defining the
function’s body, is there a special syntax to define
a recursive call to the function being defined?

I’m also interested in any feedback folks may have to offer regarding
the below implementation.

Thanks,
Steven

Attempts to locate “int” in “int_array”

if “int” is found, this function will return

the index of “int’s” location. If “int” is not

found, this function will return -1. This function

assumes that “int_array” is already sorted in

ascending order.

Example: chop(3, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]) #=> 2

def chop(int, int_array)
func = lambda { |low, high, int, int_array, f|
return -1 if high < low
mid = low + ((high-low) / 2)

 if int < int_array[mid]
   high = mid-1
 elsif int > int_array[mid]
   low = mid+1
 else
   return mid
 end

 f.call(low, high, int, int_array, f)

}

func.call(0, int_array.size-1, int, int_array, func)
end

2

On Sep 4, 2006, at 10:59 PM, Steven H. wrote:

Greetings,

I’ve been playing around with various ways to write a function that
does a binary search on an array of integers.
Below is one of my implementations. I’m wondering if it is
possible to avoid passing the function to itself
in order to achieve the recursive call.

You don’t need one.

% cat recursion_diversion.rb
func = lambda do |x|
if x == 0
puts “Recursing”
func.call(1)
else
puts “Done”
end
end

func.call( 0 )

% ruby recursion_diversion.rb
Recursing
Done

3

On Sep 4, 2006, at 8:09 PM, Logan C. wrote:

in order to achieve the recursive call.
puts “Done”

Cool, thanks Logan.

4

Steven H. [email protected] writes:

I’m also interested in any feedback folks may have to offer regarding

found, this function will return -1. This function

if int < int_array[mid]

func.call(0, int_array.size-1, int, int_array, func)
end

I can’t resist from using the Y combinator:

Y = lambda { |f|
g = lambda { |h|
lambda { |x|
f[h[h]][x]
}
}
g[g]
}

untested

def chop(int, int_array)
Y.call(lambda { |func| lambda { |low, high, int, int_array|
return nil if high < low
mid = low + ((high-low) / 2)

if int < int_array[mid]
  high = mid-1
elsif int > int_array[mid]
  low = mid+1
else
  return mid
end

func.call(low, high, int, int_array)

}}).call(0, int_array.size-1, int, int_array)
end

5

On Sep 7, 2006, at 9:39 AM, Christian N. wrote:

}
Sweet! Y-Combinator in ruby. You do realize, now that you’ve done the
“hard part” what this will do to advance the state of the art in ruby
obfuscation?

6

Logan C. [email protected] writes:

}
g[g]
}

Sweet! Y-Combinator in ruby. You do realize, now that you’ve done the
“hard part” what this will do to advance the state of the art in ruby
obfuscation?

yawn. BTDT:
-rw-rw-r-- 1 chris chris 222 Oct 25 2003
/Users/chris/projects/ruby/y.rb
-rw-rw-r-- 1 chris chris 285 Oct 25 2003
/Users/chris/projects/ruby/jarh2.rb

s=“,GreEkcaSh BODybuILDER ALBreChtAMMOonIa tSUNEMATsuJ”;
puts lambda{|f|h=lambda{|h|lambda{|x|f[h[h]][x]}};h[h]}[
lambda{|f|lambda do|h|h[0]?f[h[1…-1]]<<h[0]:[];end}][s. delete(*%w{A-Z ^JR})].#See King James text of the bible:
pack(“c*”)## “Y do ye not understand my speech?”, John 8