(Im)possible Algorithm

[Cikotic]

Hi all,
Recently, in my computer science class, we encountered a problem in a book that seemed impossible to solve. (The teacher couldn't solve it either, so we aren't getting marks for it, which is why I'm posting it here. ).
Here's the problem: Write a function that can determine if all characters in a string are the same or not WITHOUT USING LOOPS OR RECURSION. Neither me, nor anyone else in my class could think of a solution. Not even the teacher.
I would appreciate if anyone who knows the answer would post a couple of hints, so I can take another shot at it.

Thanx for your time.

[Thantos]

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main (void)
{
  char test1[]="hello world";
  char test2[]="hello world";
  int result=1, counter=0;
  int length1 = strlen(test1);
  int length2 = strlen(test2);


if ( length1 != length2 )
{
  result = 0;
  goto label2;
}
label1:
  if ( test1[counter] != test2[counter] )
  {
    result = 0;
  }
  else
  {
    if ( counter < length1 )
    {
      counter++;
      goto label1;
    }

  }
label2:

  if ( result == 1)
    puts("same");
  else
    puts("not same");
  return 0;
}

[Dave_Sinkula]

Similarly,

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

void compare(const char *s, const char *t)
{
   const char *op[] = { "<", "==", ">" };
   int x = strcmp(s,t), result = x < 0 ? 0 : x > 0 ? 2 : 1;
   printf("\"%s\" %-2s \"%s\"\n", s, op [ result ], t);
}

int main(void)
{
   const char a[] = "hello world", b[] = "hello world", c[] = "not hello world";
   compare(a,b);
   compare(a,c);
   return 0;
}

/* my output
"hello world" == "hello world"
"hello world" <  "not hello world"
*/

[Sebastiani]

>> int length1 = strlen(test1);
>> int x = strcmp(s,t)

Don't those functions use loops? The bottom line is, if the strings are variable-length, there's no way around using some form of loop (goto's included).

[HybridM]

If only it was C++:

int Comparestr(const char* str1, const char* str2)
{
	std::string temp1 = str1, temp2 = str2;

	if(temp1 == temp2)
		return 0;

	return 1;
}

I'm still working on this. It is supposed to be possible right?

[major_blagger]

Was it a book for C or for some functional programming language?

I guess it all depends on the scope of your restrictions.

[Sebastiani]

>> if(temp1 == temp2)

Nope, the implementation uses loops internally, so that won't work either. Try again.

[The Dog]

From what I read, the function should test to see if in one string, all the characters are the same. eg. "ssssss", "11111", "eeeee"

[chrismiceli]

This must be impossible, it is like trying to see if something in america is the same in china, how can you? A string is an array, this is saying, if the first thing in the array is equal to everything else in the array then return 1 (or something), but you can't see anything but the first character.

[Prelude]

>we encountered a problem in a book that seemed impossible to solve
What book? Chances are that it allows you to assume something about the string. A general solution using the restrictions you've given is going to be a) ridiculous, b) broken or c) system dependent.

[VirtualAce]

That is a stupid problem. Why attempt to solve a problem using the wrong tools?? Loops are there for a reason and there is no glory in avoiding them when the best possible solution is to use one.

Unbelievable.

[Salem]

Well I have an answer which meets two of Prelude's conditions....
Should I post such an atrocity or not?
Can you guess which two?

Oh, one more thing, this is the interpretation of the problem as posted by The Dog, and not some strcmp() variant.

[Dave_Sinkula]

The hideous version dancing through my head is simply the unrolled loop.

[Sebastiani]

>> Well I have an answer which meets two of Prelude's conditions....

Dear God, it's broken...isn't it!? j/k

O.K. I've got to see this.

[-KEN-]

Posting because I want to see Salem's horrendous solution.