I am working on a lab for a class where a user inputs a number and it recursively prints out a number pattern. For example,
The base case is if they enter 1, it will print: 1
If they enter 2 it will print: 1 2 1
If 3, it will print: 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
and then for something bigger, if they enter 7, it will print:
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 6
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 7
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 6
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
I'm a little stuck on what the number pattern is to be able to complete this problem. Does anyone have any ideas?
So you need to write a recursive function. Something of this form:
private String pattern(int num) {
// ...
}
The most important part is finding the right exit condition that should stop the recursion. In this case, that's when num == 1
.
From the description, it looks like for a number k
, the output is pattern(k - 1) + k + pattern(k - 1)
.
I already spoiled too much. You might need to improve the efficiency of this. For example, realize that you don't need to run pattern(k - 1)
twice, it's enough to do it once.
I'm a little stuck on what the number pattern is to be able to complete this problem.
Lets try to analyse the sequence using some function f
f(1) = 1 (Total digits = 1 )
f(2) = 1 2 1 ( Total digits = 3 )
f(3) = 121 3 121 (Total digits = 7 )
f(4) = 1213121 4 1213121 (Total digits = 15 )
f(5) = 121312141213121 5 121312141213121 (Total digits = 31 )
So as you can observe total digits sequence looks like 1,3,7,15,31,....2^n-1
Now we can express this logic as mentioned below(Note : in order to help you to better understand how the program works i am printing sequence at every level)
public class SequenceGenerator {
public static void main(String[] args) {
generate(7);
}
static void generate(int depth) {
recursiveGenerator(1, null, depth);
}
static void recursiveGenerator(int num, String prev, int limit) {
if (num <= limit) {
if (prev != null) {
System.out.println();
}
if (prev != null) {
System.out.printf("%s %d %s", prev, num, prev);
} else {
prev = "";
System.out.printf("%d", num);
}
if (prev.equals("")) {
prev += num + prev;
} else {
prev += " " + num + " " + prev;
}
recursiveGenerator(++num, prev, limit);
}
}
}
Outputs
1
1 2 1
1 2 1 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 6 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 6 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 7 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 6 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
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