Euclidean algorithm (GCD) with multiple numbers?
Question:
So I’m writing a program in Python to get the GCD of any amount of numbers.
def GCD(numbers):
if numbers[-1] == 0:
return numbers[0]
# i'm stuck here, this is wrong
for i in range(len(numbers)-1):
print GCD([numbers[i+1], numbers[i] % numbers[i+1]])
print GCD(30, 40, 36)
The function takes a list of numbers.
This should print 2. However, I don’t understand how to use the the algorithm recursively so it can handle multiple numbers. Can someone explain?
updated, still not working:
def GCD(numbers):
if numbers[-1] == 0:
return numbers[0]
gcd = 0
for i in range(len(numbers)):
gcd = GCD([numbers[i+1], numbers[i] % numbers[i+1]])
gcdtemp = GCD([gcd, numbers[i+2]])
gcd = gcdtemp
return gcd
Ok, solved it
def GCD(a, b):
if b == 0:
return a
else:
return GCD(b, a % b)
and then use reduce, like
reduce(GCD, (30, 40, 36))
Answers:
The GCD operator is commutative and associative. This means that
gcd(a,b,c) = gcd(gcd(a,b),c) = gcd(a,gcd(b,c))
So once you know how to do it for 2 numbers, you can do it for any number
To do it for two numbers, you simply need to implement Euclid’s formula, which is simply:
// Ensure a >= b >= 1, flip a and b if necessary
while b > 0
t = a % b
a = b
b = t
end
return a
Define that function as, say euclid(a,b). Then, you can define gcd(nums) as:
if (len(nums) == 1)
return nums[1]
else
return euclid(nums[1], gcd(nums[:2]))
This uses the associative property of gcd() to compute the answer
You can use reduce:
>>> from fractions import gcd
>>> reduce(gcd,(30,40,60))
10
which is equivalent to;
>>> lis = (30,40,60,70)
>>> res = gcd(*lis[:2]) #get the gcd of first two numbers
>>> for x in lis[2:]: #now iterate over the list starting from the 3rd element
... res = gcd(res,x)
>>> res
10
help on reduce:
>>> reduce?
Type: builtin_function_or_method
reduce(function, sequence[, initial]) -> value
Apply a function of two arguments cumulatively to the items of a sequence,
from left to right, so as to reduce the sequence to a single value.
For example, reduce(lambda x, y: x+y, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]) calculates
((((1+2)+3)+4)+5). If initial is present, it is placed before the items
of the sequence in the calculation, and serves as a default when the
sequence is empty.
Try calling the GCD() as follows,
i = 0
temp = numbers[i]
for i in range(len(numbers)-1):
temp = GCD(numbers[i+1], temp)
Since GCD is associative, GCD(a,b,c,d) is the same as GCD(GCD(GCD(a,b),c),d). In this case, Python’s reduce function would be a good candidate for reducing the cases for which len(numbers) > 2 to a simple 2-number comparison. The code would look something like this:
if len(numbers) > 2:
return reduce(lambda x,y: GCD([x,y]), numbers)
Reduce applies the given function to each element in the list, so that something like
gcd = reduce(lambda x,y:GCD([x,y]),[a,b,c,d])
is the same as doing
gcd = GCD(a,b)
gcd = GCD(gcd,c)
gcd = GCD(gcd,d)
Now the only thing left is to code for when len(numbers) <= 2. Passing only two arguments to GCD in reduce ensures that your function recurses at most once (since len(numbers) > 2 only in the original call), which has the additional benefit of never overflowing the stack.
A solution to finding out the LCM of more than two numbers in PYTHON is as follow:
#finding LCM (Least Common Multiple) of a series of numbers
def GCD(a, b):
#Gives greatest common divisor using Euclid's Algorithm.
while b:
a, b = b, a % b
return a
def LCM(a, b):
#gives lowest common multiple of two numbers
return a * b // GCD(a, b)
def LCMM(*args):
#gives LCM of a list of numbers passed as argument
return reduce(LCM, args)
Here I’ve added +1 in the last argument of range() function because the function itself starts from zero (0) to n-1. Click the hyperlink to know more about range() function :
print ("LCM of numbers (1 to 5) : " + str(LCMM(*range(1, 5+1))))
print ("LCM of numbers (1 to 10) : " + str(LCMM(*range(1, 10+1))))
print (reduce(LCMM,(1,2,3,4,5)))
those who are new to python can read more about reduce() function by the given link.
My way of solving it in Python. Hope it helps.
def find_gcd(arr):
if len(arr) <= 1:
return arr
else:
for i in range(len(arr)-1):
a = arr[i]
b = arr[i+1]
while b:
a, b = b, a%b
arr[i+1] = a
return a
def main(array):
print(find_gcd(array))
main(array=[8, 18, 22, 24]) # 2
main(array=[8, 24]) # 8
main(array=[5]) # [5]
main(array=[]) # []
Some dynamics how I understand it:
ex.[8, 18] -> [18, 8] -> [8, 2] -> [2, 0]
18 = 8x + 2 = (2y)x + 2 = 2z where z = xy + 1
ex.[18, 22] -> [22, 18] -> [18, 4] -> [4, 2] -> [2, 0]
22 = 18w + 4 = (4x+2)w + 4 = ((2y)x + 2)w + 2 = 2z
Python 3.9 introduced multiple arguments version of math.gcd, so you can use:
import math
math.gcd(30, 40, 36)
3.5 <= Python <= 3.8.x:
import functools
import math
functools.reduce(math.gcd, (30, 40, 36))
3 <= Python < 3.5:
import fractions
import functools
functools.reduce(fractions.gcd, (30, 40, 36))
As of python 3.9 beta 4, it has got built-in support for finding gcd over a list of numbers.
Python 3.9.0b4 (v3.9.0b4:69dec9c8d2, Jul 2 2020, 18:41:53)
[Clang 6.0 (clang-600.0.57)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import math
>>> A = [30, 40, 36]
>>> print(math.gcd(*A))
2
One of the issues is that many of the calculations only work with numbers greater than 1. I modified the solution found here so that it accepts numbers smaller than 1. Basically, we can re scale the array using the minimum value and then use that to calculate the GCD of numbers smaller than 1.
# GCD of more than two (or array) numbers - alows folating point numbers
# Function implements the Euclidian algorithm to find H.C.F. of two number
def find_gcd(x, y):
while(y):
x, y = y, x % y
return x
# Driver Code
l_org = [60e-6, 20e-6, 30e-6]
min_val = min(l_org)
l = [item/min_val for item in l_org]
num1 = l[0]
num2 = l[1]
gcd = find_gcd(num1, num2)
for i in range(2, len(l)):
gcd = find_gcd(gcd, l[i])
gcd = gcd * min_val
print(gcd)
HERE IS A SIMPLE METHOD TO FIND GCD OF 2 NUMBERS
a = int(input("Enter the value of first number:"))
b = int(input("Enter the value of second number:"))
c,d = a,b
while a!=0:
b,a=a,b%a
print("GCD of ",c,"and",d,"is",b)
So I’m writing a program in Python to get the GCD of any amount of numbers.
def GCD(numbers):
if numbers[-1] == 0:
return numbers[0]
# i'm stuck here, this is wrong
for i in range(len(numbers)-1):
print GCD([numbers[i+1], numbers[i] % numbers[i+1]])
print GCD(30, 40, 36)
The function takes a list of numbers.
This should print 2. However, I don’t understand how to use the the algorithm recursively so it can handle multiple numbers. Can someone explain?
updated, still not working:
def GCD(numbers):
if numbers[-1] == 0:
return numbers[0]
gcd = 0
for i in range(len(numbers)):
gcd = GCD([numbers[i+1], numbers[i] % numbers[i+1]])
gcdtemp = GCD([gcd, numbers[i+2]])
gcd = gcdtemp
return gcd
Ok, solved it
def GCD(a, b):
if b == 0:
return a
else:
return GCD(b, a % b)
and then use reduce, like
reduce(GCD, (30, 40, 36))
The GCD operator is commutative and associative. This means that
gcd(a,b,c) = gcd(gcd(a,b),c) = gcd(a,gcd(b,c))
So once you know how to do it for 2 numbers, you can do it for any number
To do it for two numbers, you simply need to implement Euclid’s formula, which is simply:
// Ensure a >= b >= 1, flip a and b if necessary
while b > 0
t = a % b
a = b
b = t
end
return a
Define that function as, say euclid(a,b). Then, you can define gcd(nums) as:
if (len(nums) == 1)
return nums[1]
else
return euclid(nums[1], gcd(nums[:2]))
This uses the associative property of gcd() to compute the answer
You can use reduce:
>>> from fractions import gcd
>>> reduce(gcd,(30,40,60))
10
which is equivalent to;
>>> lis = (30,40,60,70)
>>> res = gcd(*lis[:2]) #get the gcd of first two numbers
>>> for x in lis[2:]: #now iterate over the list starting from the 3rd element
... res = gcd(res,x)
>>> res
10
help on reduce:
>>> reduce?
Type: builtin_function_or_method
reduce(function, sequence[, initial]) -> value
Apply a function of two arguments cumulatively to the items of a sequence,
from left to right, so as to reduce the sequence to a single value.
For example, reduce(lambda x, y: x+y, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]) calculates
((((1+2)+3)+4)+5). If initial is present, it is placed before the items
of the sequence in the calculation, and serves as a default when the
sequence is empty.
Try calling the GCD() as follows,
i = 0
temp = numbers[i]
for i in range(len(numbers)-1):
temp = GCD(numbers[i+1], temp)
Since GCD is associative, GCD(a,b,c,d) is the same as GCD(GCD(GCD(a,b),c),d). In this case, Python’s reduce function would be a good candidate for reducing the cases for which len(numbers) > 2 to a simple 2-number comparison. The code would look something like this:
if len(numbers) > 2:
return reduce(lambda x,y: GCD([x,y]), numbers)
Reduce applies the given function to each element in the list, so that something like
gcd = reduce(lambda x,y:GCD([x,y]),[a,b,c,d])
is the same as doing
gcd = GCD(a,b)
gcd = GCD(gcd,c)
gcd = GCD(gcd,d)
Now the only thing left is to code for when len(numbers) <= 2. Passing only two arguments to GCD in reduce ensures that your function recurses at most once (since len(numbers) > 2 only in the original call), which has the additional benefit of never overflowing the stack.
A solution to finding out the LCM of more than two numbers in PYTHON is as follow:
#finding LCM (Least Common Multiple) of a series of numbers
def GCD(a, b):
#Gives greatest common divisor using Euclid's Algorithm.
while b:
a, b = b, a % b
return a
def LCM(a, b):
#gives lowest common multiple of two numbers
return a * b // GCD(a, b)
def LCMM(*args):
#gives LCM of a list of numbers passed as argument
return reduce(LCM, args)
Here I’ve added +1 in the last argument of range() function because the function itself starts from zero (0) to n-1. Click the hyperlink to know more about range() function :
print ("LCM of numbers (1 to 5) : " + str(LCMM(*range(1, 5+1))))
print ("LCM of numbers (1 to 10) : " + str(LCMM(*range(1, 10+1))))
print (reduce(LCMM,(1,2,3,4,5)))
those who are new to python can read more about reduce() function by the given link.
My way of solving it in Python. Hope it helps.
def find_gcd(arr):
if len(arr) <= 1:
return arr
else:
for i in range(len(arr)-1):
a = arr[i]
b = arr[i+1]
while b:
a, b = b, a%b
arr[i+1] = a
return a
def main(array):
print(find_gcd(array))
main(array=[8, 18, 22, 24]) # 2
main(array=[8, 24]) # 8
main(array=[5]) # [5]
main(array=[]) # []
Some dynamics how I understand it:
ex.[8, 18] -> [18, 8] -> [8, 2] -> [2, 0]
18 = 8x + 2 = (2y)x + 2 = 2z where z = xy + 1
ex.[18, 22] -> [22, 18] -> [18, 4] -> [4, 2] -> [2, 0]
22 = 18w + 4 = (4x+2)w + 4 = ((2y)x + 2)w + 2 = 2z
Python 3.9 introduced multiple arguments version of math.gcd, so you can use:
import math
math.gcd(30, 40, 36)
3.5 <= Python <= 3.8.x:
import functools
import math
functools.reduce(math.gcd, (30, 40, 36))
3 <= Python < 3.5:
import fractions
import functools
functools.reduce(fractions.gcd, (30, 40, 36))
As of python 3.9 beta 4, it has got built-in support for finding gcd over a list of numbers.
Python 3.9.0b4 (v3.9.0b4:69dec9c8d2, Jul 2 2020, 18:41:53)
[Clang 6.0 (clang-600.0.57)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import math
>>> A = [30, 40, 36]
>>> print(math.gcd(*A))
2
One of the issues is that many of the calculations only work with numbers greater than 1. I modified the solution found here so that it accepts numbers smaller than 1. Basically, we can re scale the array using the minimum value and then use that to calculate the GCD of numbers smaller than 1.
# GCD of more than two (or array) numbers - alows folating point numbers
# Function implements the Euclidian algorithm to find H.C.F. of two number
def find_gcd(x, y):
while(y):
x, y = y, x % y
return x
# Driver Code
l_org = [60e-6, 20e-6, 30e-6]
min_val = min(l_org)
l = [item/min_val for item in l_org]
num1 = l[0]
num2 = l[1]
gcd = find_gcd(num1, num2)
for i in range(2, len(l)):
gcd = find_gcd(gcd, l[i])
gcd = gcd * min_val
print(gcd)
HERE IS A SIMPLE METHOD TO FIND GCD OF 2 NUMBERS
a = int(input("Enter the value of first number:"))
b = int(input("Enter the value of second number:"))
c,d = a,b
while a!=0:
b,a=a,b%a
print("GCD of ",c,"and",d,"is",b)