arraysalgorithmlanguage-agnosticsrlblaze-advisor

Keep top N elements of an array by group


I am using proprietary language in Blaze Advisor (rule enginge). I am looking for an algorithm how to keep only top N items in array by groups formed by specific attribute. As an example there are two arrays:

parrent[0].id = 1
parrent[1].id = 2

And second array:

child[0].parrentId = 1
child[0].result = 3.0
child[1].parrentId = 1
child[1].result = 2.0
child[2].parrentId = 1
child[2].result = 4.0
child[3].parrentId = 1
child[3].result = 6.0
child[4].parrentId = 1
child[4].result = -1.0
child[5].parrentId = 2
child[5].result = 1.0
child[6].parrentId = 2
child[6].result = 16.0
child[7].parrentId = 2
child[7].result = 2.0
child[8].parrentId = 2
child[8].result = -10.0
child[9].parrentId = 2
child[9].result = 5.0

I would like to keep only top three elements for each parrentId in child array as indicated by result attribute. In my language I can do all the basic operations - I can use if/else, while, for, for each constructs, and create new variables. I can sort array asc/desc and get indices of sorted elements. I can remove elements of an array.

For my data I need the following result:

child[0].parrentId = 1
child[0].result = 3.0
child[1].parrentId = 1
child[2].result = 4.0
child[3].parrentId = 1
child[3].result = 6.0
child[6].parrentId = 2
child[6].result = 16.0
child[7].parrentId = 2
child[7].result = 2.0
child[9].parrentId = 2
child[9].result = 5.0

Solution

  • With the auxiliary class: enter image description here

    And the function: enter image description here

    That has the code:

    len is an integer initially top.children.count - 1;
    idx is an integer initially len;
    while idx > atIdx do {
        top.children[idx] = top.children[idx-1];
        decrement idx;
    }
    top.children[atIdx] = child;
    

    This code can do what you asked for:

    child is an fixed array of 10 Child;
    
    counter is an integer initially 0;
    while counter < 10 do { child[counter] = a Child; increment counter }
    
    child[0].parrentId = 1;
    child[0].result = 3.0;
    child[1].parrentId = 1;
    child[1].result = 2.0;
    child[2].parrentId = 1;
    child[2].result = 4.0;
    child[3].parrentId = 1;
    child[3].result = 6.0;
    child[4].parrentId = 1;
    child[4].result = -1.0;
    child[5].parrentId = 2;
    child[5].result = 1.0;
    child[6].parrentId = 2;
    child[6].result = 16.0;
    child[7].parrentId = 2;
    child[7].result = 2.0;
    child[8].parrentId = 2;
    child[8].result = -10.0;
    child[9].parrentId = 2;
    child[9].result = 5.0;
    
    groups is an array of real;
    
    topN is an integer initially 4;
    
    //Init the hashmap of [group] -> [array of 'N' top Child]
    top3fromGroup is an association from real to TopChildren;
    for each Child in child do if not groups.contains(it.parrentId) then { 
        top3fromGroup[it.parrentId] = a TopChildren;
        initCounter is an integer initially 0;
        while initCounter < topN do {
            top3fromGroup[it.parrentId].children[initCounter] = a Child initially { it.result = Double.MIN_VALUE;} 
            increment initCounter;
        }
        groups.append(it.parrentId);
    }
    
    //Filling the groups at the hashmap with the Child elements ordered inside its groups
    for each real in groups do { 
        group is a real initially it;
        for each Child in child do {
            localChild is some Child initially it;
            if it.parrentId = group then {
                top is some TopChildren initially top3fromGroup[group]; 
                topValuesIdx is an integer initially 0;
                while topValuesIdx < top.children.count do {
                    topChild is some Child initially top.children[topValuesIdx];
                    if localChild.result > topChild.result then { 
                        insertAt(topValuesIdx, localChild, top);
                        topValuesIdx = top.children.count;
                    } 
                    increment topValuesIdx;
                }
            }
        }
    }
    
    //Printing the hashmap
    for each real in groups do {
        group is a real initially it;
        print("Group: " group);
        childIdx is an integer initially 0;
        for each Child in top3fromGroup[it].children do {
            print("\tchild["childIdx"].parrentId = " it.parrentId); 
            print("\tchild["childIdx"].result = " it.result);
            increment childIdx;
        }
    }
    

    The output on the Eclipse/Blaze console would be:

    Group: 1.0
        child[0].parrentId = 1.0
        child[0].result = 6.0
        child[1].parrentId = 1.0
        child[1].result = 4.0
        child[2].parrentId = 1.0
        child[2].result = 3.0
        child[3].parrentId = 1.0
        child[3].result = 2.0
    Group: 2.0
        child[0].parrentId = 2.0
        child[0].result = 16.0
        child[1].parrentId = 2.0
        child[1].result = 5.0
        child[2].parrentId = 2.0
        child[2].result = 2.0
        child[3].parrentId = 2.0
        child[3].result = 1.0
    
    Execution complete.
    

    I know this is a very simple solution and not the optimal one.