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Re: Re: Puzzle: need a more general algorithm

by Anonymous Monk
on Jul 08, 2002 at 23:28 UTC ( #180349=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Re: Puzzle: need a more general algorithm
in thread Puzzle: need a more general algorithm

Greediness does not work in general. What if your categories have sizes 15, 15, 10, 10, 15, 15? Your solution comes out with a suboptimal answer.
  • Comment on Re: Re: Puzzle: need a more general algorithm

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Re(3): Puzzle: need a more general algorithm
by FoxtrotUniform (Prior) on Jul 08, 2002 at 23:42 UTC
      Greediness does not work in general. What if your categories have sizes 15, 15, 10, 10, 15, 15? Your solution comes out with a suboptimal answer.

    That's what backtracking's for. :-)

    Actually, that brings up an interesting question: Ovid, are there any bounds on how optimal the answer has to be? Exactly optimal (sucky if this problem turns out to be NP-Hard)? Within a constant factor of optimal (like, max length no more than 1.5x larger than optimal)?

    --
    The hell with paco, vote for Erudil!
    :wq

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