freeCodeCamp/curriculum/challenges/german/10-coding-interview-prep/rosetta-code/closest-pair-problem.md

9.9 KiB

id title challengeType forumTopicId dashedName
5951a53863c8a34f02bf1bdc Closest-pair problem 1 302232 closest-pair-problem

--description--

Provide a function to find the closest two points among a set of given points in two dimensions.

The straightforward solution is a O(n^2) algorithm (which we can call brute-force algorithm); the pseudo-code (using indexes) could be simply:

bruteForceClosestPair of P(1), P(2), ... P(N)
if N < 2 then
  returnelse
  minDistance ← |P(1) - P(2)|
  minPoints ← { P(1), P(2) }
  foreach i ∈ [1, N-1]
    foreach j ∈ [i+1, N]
      if |P(i) - P(j)| < minDistance then
        minDistance ← |P(i) - P(j)|
        minPoints ← { P(i), P(j) }
      endif
    endfor
  endfor
  return minDistance, minPoints
endif

A better algorithm is based on the recursive divide and conquer approach, which is O(n\log n) a pseudo-code could be:

closestPair of (xP, yP)
  where xP is P(1) .. P(N) sorted by x coordinate, and
  yP is P(1) .. P(N) sorted by y coordinate (ascending order)
if N ≤ 3 then
  return closest points of xP using brute-force algorithm
else
  xL ← points of xP from 1 to ⌈N/2⌉
  xR ← points of xP from ⌈N/2⌉+1 to N
  xm ← xP(⌈N/2⌉)x
  yL ← { p ∈ yP : px ≤ xm }
  yR ← { p ∈ yP : px > xm }
  (dL, pairL) ← closestPair of (xL, yL)
  (dR, pairR) ← closestPair of (xR, yR)
  (dmin, pairMin) ← (dR, pairR)
  if dL < dR then
    (dmin, pairMin) ← (dL, pairL)
  endif
  yS ← { p ∈ yP : |xm - px| < dmin }
  nS ← number of points in yS
  (closest, closestPair) ← (dmin, pairMin)
  for i from 1 to nS - 1
    k ← i + 1
    while k ≤ nS and yS(k)y - yS(i)y < dmin
      if |yS(k) - yS(i)| < closest then
        (closest, closestPair) ← (|yS(k) - yS(i)|, {yS(k), yS(i)})
      endif
      k ← k + 1
    endwhile
  endfor
  return closest, closestPair
endif

For the input, expect the argument to be an array of Point objects with x and y members set to numbers. Return an object containing the key:value pairs for distance and pair (the pair of two closest points).

For example getClosestPair with input array points:

const points = [
  new Point(1, 2),
  new Point(3, 3),
  new Point(2, 2)
];

Would return:

{
  distance: 1,
  pair: [
    {
      x: 1,
      y: 2
    },
    {
      x: 2,
      y: 2
    }
  ]
}

Note: Sort the pair array by their x values in incrementing order.

--hints--

getClosestPair should be a function.

assert(typeof getClosestPair === 'function');

getClosestPair(points1).distance should be 0.0894096443343775.

assert.equal(getClosestPair(points1).distance, answer1.distance);

getClosestPair(points1).pair should be [ { x: 7.46489, y: 4.6268 }, { x: 7.46911, y: 4.71611 } ].

assert.deepEqual(
  JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(getClosestPair(points1))).pair,
  answer1.pair
);

getClosestPair(points2).distance should be 65.06919393998976.

assert.equal(getClosestPair(points2).distance, answer2.distance);

getClosestPair(points2).pair should be [ { x: 37134, y: 1963 }, { x: 37181, y: 2008 } ].

assert.deepEqual(
  JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(getClosestPair(points2))).pair,
  answer2.pair
);

getClosestPair(points3).distance should be 6754.625082119658.

assert.equal(getClosestPair(points3).distance, answer3.distance);

getClosestPair(points3).pair should be [ { x: 46817, y: 64975 }, { x: 48953, y: 58567 } ].

assert.deepEqual(
  JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(getClosestPair(points3))).pair,
  answer3.pair
);

--seed--

--after-user-code--

const points1 = [
    new Point(0.748501, 4.09624),
    new Point(3.00302, 5.26164),
    new Point(3.61878,  9.52232),
    new Point(7.46911,  4.71611),
    new Point(5.7819,   2.69367),
    new Point(2.34709,  8.74782),
    new Point(2.87169,  5.97774),
    new Point(6.33101,  0.463131),
    new Point(7.46489,  4.6268),
    new Point(1.45428,  0.087596)
];

const answer1 = {
  distance: 0.0894096443343775,
  pair: [
    {
      x: 7.46489,
      y: 4.6268
    },
    {
      x: 7.46911,
      y: 4.71611
    }
  ]
};

const points2 = [
  new Point(37100, 13118),
  new Point(37134, 1963),
  new Point(37181, 2008),
  new Point(37276, 21611),
  new Point(37307, 9320)
];

const answer2 = {
  distance: 65.06919393998976,
  pair: [
    {
      x: 37134,
      y: 1963
    },
    {
      x: 37181,
      y: 2008
    }
  ]
};

const points3 = [
  new Point(16910, 54699),
  new Point(14773, 61107),
  new Point(95547, 45344),
  new Point(95951, 17573),
  new Point(5824, 41072),
  new Point(8769, 52562),
  new Point(21182, 41881),
  new Point(53226, 45749),
  new Point(68180, 887),
  new Point(29322, 44017),
  new Point(46817, 64975),
  new Point(10501, 483),
  new Point(57094, 60703),
  new Point(23318, 35472),
  new Point(72452, 88070),
  new Point(67775, 28659),
  new Point(19450, 20518),
  new Point(17314, 26927),
  new Point(98088, 11164),
  new Point(25050, 56835),
  new Point(8364, 6892),
  new Point(37868, 18382),
  new Point(23723, 7701),
  new Point(55767, 11569),
  new Point(70721, 66707),
  new Point(31863, 9837),
  new Point(49358, 30795),
  new Point(13041, 39744),
  new Point(59635, 26523),
  new Point(25859, 1292),
  new Point(1551, 53890),
  new Point(70316, 94479),
  new Point(48549, 86338),
  new Point(46413, 92747),
  new Point(27186, 50426),
  new Point(27591, 22655),
  new Point(10905, 46153),
  new Point(40408, 84202),
  new Point(52821, 73520),
  new Point(84865, 77388),
  new Point(99819, 32527),
  new Point(34404, 75657),
  new Point(78457, 96615),
  new Point(42140, 5564),
  new Point(62175, 92342),
  new Point(54958, 67112),
  new Point(4092, 19709),
  new Point(99415, 60298),
  new Point(51090, 52158),
  new Point(48953, 58567)
];

const answer3 = {
  distance: 6754.625082119658,
  pair: [
    {
      x: 46817,
      y: 64975
    },
    {
      x: 48953,
      y: 58567
    }
  ]
}

--seed-contents--

const Point = function(x, y) {
  this.x = x;
  this.y = y;
};
Point.prototype.getX = function() {
  return this.x;
};
Point.prototype.getY = function() {
  return this.y;
};

function getClosestPair(pointsArr) {

  return true;
}

--solutions--

const Point = function(x, y) {
  this.x = x;
  this.y = y;
};
Point.prototype.getX = function() {
  return this.x;
};
Point.prototype.getY = function() {
  return this.y;
};

const mergeSort = function mergeSort(points, comp) {
    if(points.length < 2) return points;

    var n = points.length,
        i = 0,
        j = 0,
        leftN = Math.floor(n / 2),
        rightN = leftN;

    var leftPart = mergeSort( points.slice(0, leftN), comp),
        rightPart = mergeSort( points.slice(rightN), comp );

    var sortedPart = [];

    while((i < leftPart.length) && (j < rightPart.length)) {
        if(comp(leftPart[i], rightPart[j]) < 0) {
            sortedPart.push(leftPart[i]);
            i += 1;
        }
        else {
            sortedPart.push(rightPart[j]);
            j += 1;
        }
    }
    while(i < leftPart.length) {
        sortedPart.push(leftPart[i]);
        i += 1;
    }
    while(j < rightPart.length) {
        sortedPart.push(rightPart[j]);
        j += 1;
    }
    return sortedPart;
};

const closestPair = function _closestPair(Px, Py) {
    if(Px.length < 2) return { distance: Infinity, pair: [ new Point(0, 0), new Point(0, 0) ] };
    if(Px.length < 3) {
        //find euclid distance
        var d = Math.sqrt( Math.pow(Math.abs(Px[1].x - Px[0].x), 2) + Math.pow(Math.abs(Px[1].y - Px[0].y), 2) );
        return {
            distance: d,
            pair: [ Px[0], Px[1] ]
        };
    }

    var n = Px.length,
        leftN = Math.floor(n / 2),
        rightN = leftN;

    var Xl = Px.slice(0, leftN),
        Xr = Px.slice(rightN),
        Xm = Xl[leftN - 1],
        Yl = [],
        Yr = [];
    //separate Py
    for(var i = 0; i < Py.length; i += 1) {
        if(Py[i].x <= Xm.x)
            Yl.push(Py[i]);
        else
            Yr.push(Py[i]);
    }

    var dLeft = _closestPair(Xl, Yl),
        dRight = _closestPair(Xr, Yr);

    var minDelta = dLeft.distance,
        closestPair = dLeft.pair;
    if(dLeft.distance > dRight.distance) {
        minDelta = dRight.distance;
        closestPair = dRight.pair;
    }

    //filter points around Xm within delta (minDelta)
    var closeY = [];
    for(i = 0; i < Py.length; i += 1) {
        if(Math.abs(Py[i].x - Xm.x) < minDelta) closeY.push(Py[i]);
    }
    //find min within delta. 8 steps max
    for(i = 0; i < closeY.length; i += 1) {
        for(var j = i + 1; j < Math.min( (i + 8), closeY.length ); j += 1) {
            var d = Math.sqrt( Math.pow(Math.abs(closeY[j].x - closeY[i].x), 2) + Math.pow(Math.abs(closeY[j].y - closeY[i].y), 2) );
            if(d < minDelta) {
                minDelta = d;
                closestPair = [ closeY[i], closeY[j] ]
            }
        }
    }

    return {
        distance: minDelta,
        pair: closestPair.sort((pointA, pointB) => pointA.x - pointB.x)
    };
};

function getClosestPair(points) {
  const sortX = function(a, b) { return (a.x < b.x) ? -1 : ((a.x > b.x) ? 1 : 0); }
  const sortY = function(a, b) { return (a.y < b.y) ? -1 : ((a.y > b.y) ? 1 : 0); }

  const Px = mergeSort(points, sortX);
  const Py = mergeSort(points, sortY);

  return closestPair(Px, Py);
}