Thread: Combinations

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    46

    Combinations

    Hi , I have to write a program that calculates the number of possible combinations k of n objects.
    It has to be a recursive program.
    It compiles and runs, but while debugging while I type in some numbers it returns 0 everytime

    Thanks for any help

    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    int possibleCombi(int n,int k);
    int main (void)
    {
       int n,k,combinations;
       printf("type in n , number of total objects");
       scanf("%d",&n);
       printf("type in k , numbers drawn");
       scanf("%d",&k);
       combinations = possibleCombi(n,k);
       printf("%d",combinations);
    }
    
    int possibleCombi(int n,int k)
    {
    	if ((k = 0) || (n = k)){
    		return 1;
    	}
    	if(n > k > 0){
    		return (possibleCombi(n - 1,k) + possibleCombi(n - 1,k - 1));
    	}
    	
    }

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    210
    I'm pretty sure this is not what you want:

    Code:
      	if(n > k > 0){
    This evaluates to ...

    Code:
      if ((n > k) > 0) {
    which means: if the boolean result of n > k (either "true" or "false") is > 0 do....

    You probably want something like

    Code:
      if ((n > k) && (k > 0)) {
    main() { int O[!0<<~-!0]; (!0<<!0)[O]+= ~0 +~(!0|!0<<!0); printf("a function calling "); }

  3. #3
    Registered User
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    Jul 2004
    Posts
    46
    Thanks , I made that change to my code, but it still returns a zero everytime

  4. #4
    Registered User
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    UK
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    You're assigning k and n to 0 in the if statement try:

    if ((k == 0) || (n == k)){

  5. #5
    Registered User
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    Jul 2004
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    Thanks , it works now , except that the answer isn't right I think.
    Shouldn't the answer for example with n = 8 and k = 3 be 512.
    Instead it returns then 56

  6. #6
    ~viaxd() viaxd's Avatar
    Join Date
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    246
    56 is correct
    :wq

  7. #7
    ---
    Join Date
    May 2004
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    1,379
    >Shouldn't the answer for example with n = 8 and k = 3 be 512
    you must be a little confused.

    that would be
    8^3 = 512 (not XOR)
    8*8*8 = 512

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