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Help me rid my curse... please.

I have been losing sleep over this puzzle, and I'm convinced my train
of thought is heading in the wrong direction. It is difficult to
explain my circumstances, so I will present an identical make-believe
challenge in order to avoid confusing the issue further.

Suppose I was hosting a dinner and I wanted to invite exactly 12 guests
from my neighborhood. I'm really picky about that... I have 12 chairs
besides my own, and I want them all filled or there ain't gonna be no
dinner.

I have created a table of all the families in my neighborhood that I
can tolerate for an hour, and a count of all the members in each of the
families. I added an identity column and prioritized my potential
guests by the size of each family in descending order, like so:

Identity FamilyName SeatsNeeded
1 McClusky 8
2 Olson 7
3 Adams 6
4 Wilson 3
5 Sayjak 2

What is the easiest way to identify the first or only group of guests
that required EXACTLY 12 seats? The only solution, by the way, is to
invite the McClusky's, the Wilson's and the Sayjak's (7+3+2=12).

The procedure I am currently using starts with the table #ungrouped
(similar to the example above), and inserts the first record from
#ungrouped into an empty table, #grouped (set up just like #ungrouped,
except records from "SeatsNeeded" become "SeatsTaken"). While the sum
of all SeatsTaken in #grouped is less than 12, I continue to add to it
unique records from #ungrouped where SeatsNeeded
<=(12-SUM(#grouped.SeatsTaken)). As soon as #grouped contains a total
of 12 under the SeatsTaken column, those records are tagged with a
GroupID in their source tables and removed from the temporary tables.
The process is repeated until the procedure can't find any more groups
of 12 (if a situation exists similar to my example table, I have to
identify the last group manually). The remaining records get grouped
when additional records become available.

I apologize if my SQuengLish is confusing or in any way insulting. I
guess the bottom line is that I have a solution that only works when
the first records is part of the result set, and the procedure has many
more records to sort through. It would be nice if I could find as many
groups of 12 as possible, as efficiently as possible, with as few
left-overs as possible.

Any ideas? Clues?

Silvio

Jul 23 '05 #1
28 3235
Silvio Again...

I made a mistake regarding my example record set. If I want to iscolate
the records where the sum of all values in SeatsNeaded was 12, from
this table:

Identity FamilyName SeatsNeeded
1 McClusky 8
2 Olson 7
3 Adams 6
4 Wilson 3
5 Sayjak 2

.... the correct record set would include the OLSON's, the Wilson's and
the Sayjak's (7+3+2=12)... not the McClusky's.

Jul 23 '05 #2
On 20 Jan 2005 07:56:22 -0800, stu_gots wrote:

(snip)
Suppose I was hosting a dinner and I wanted to invite exactly 12 guests
from my neighborhood. I'm really picky about that... I have 12 chairs
besides my own, and I want them all filled or there ain't gonna be no
dinner.

(snip)

Hi Silvio,

I don't have a ready-made solution for this particular problem. I do have
a solution to a related problem, that might or might not help. I'll get to
that later on in this message. First, some thoughts about your problem.

An interesting starting question is whether there is a mathematical
solution for this problem - I'm not a mathematician, but maybe someone
else reading this is?
Anyway, if there is no mathematical solution, or if it is too complicated
to use in SQL Server, your only other option is to use trial and error. In
a third generation programming language, I'd be tempted to make a
recursive procedure:
* add largest family that still fits room to the "to be invited" set
* if all seats filled: report success & return
* if empty seats left:
* call self
* if succes: report succes & return
* if failure: retry from start with next available family
* if all families have been tried: report failure & return
You COULD try to create such a procedure in SQL Server, but recursion is
not exactly a particular strength of SQL Server. It would also perform
terrible (from the rest of your message, I understand that your real
problem involves lots more families and not one but many dinner parties).

I'll mull your problem over for a while. If I come up with something
creative, I'll let you know.
Meanwhile, allow me to present you with the code I once wrote to solve a
related problem. To stay with your analogy: you have to invite ALL guests
from your neighbourhood to dinner; you want to get it over as quickly as
possible, so if you can serve them all with three dinner aprties, there
definitely won't be four. I bet you see both the similarities and the
differences; I'll leave it to you to decide if this code will help you or
not.

The code I'll post uses a different analogy: examinations. There are
different subjects (families); for each subject, the number of students
that enrolled for the exam (family members) is known. The examination room
has a capacity of 100 seats. All students taking an examination for a
subject will be invited on the same day; examination sessions for multiple
subjects might be combined as long as the room doesn't overflow. The aim
of my code is to combine as much subjects as possible, making sure the
least possible amount of days is used to get all examinations done. I
don't think my code will always find the best possible combination, but I
do believe that it gets pretty close, and it's a lot faster than using
cursors (as most peeple would do in this case).

Some extra complications in my example that are not present in your
analogy are:
* If more than 100 students enroll for the same subject (and only in that
case!), the examinations for that subject will be split: as many sessions
for exactly 100 students as needed, plus one session for the remaining
students. This last session might be combined with sessions for other
subjects.
* The examinations are not help once, but each quarter; the number of
students enrolling for a subject might change from quarter to quarter.

Here's the code I used to solve this. I originally wrote this script for
Joe Celko, so I used the ANSI-standard UPDATE syntax; converting it to
proprietary UPDATE FROM syntax would probably speed it up.

-- Create the tables
CREATE TABLE Entries (Quarter int NOT NULL
,SubjCode char(3) NOT NULL
,NumberOfCandidates int NOT NULL
,PRIMARY KEY (Quarter, SubjCode)
-- ,FOREIGN KEY (SubjCode) REFERENCES Subjects
,CHECK (Quarter IN (1, 2, 3, 4))
,CHECK (NumberOfCandidates > 0)
)
CREATE TABLE Sessions (Quarter int NOT NULL
,SessionNo int NOT NULL
,SpaceLeft int NOT NULL -- could be derived, but
that would hurt performance
,PRIMARY KEY (Quarter, SessionNo)
,CHECK (Quarter IN (1, 2, 3, 4))
)
CREATE TABLE SplitEntries (Quarter int NOT NULL
,SubjCode char(3) NOT NULL
,SplitNo int NOT NULL
,NumberOfCandidates int NOT NULL
,SessionNo int DEFAULT NULL
,PRIMARY KEY (Quarter, SubjCode, SplitNo)
,FOREIGN KEY (Quarter, SubjCode) REFERENCES
Entries
,FOREIGN KEY (Quarter, SessionNo) REFERENCES
Sessions
-- ,CHECK (Quarter IN (1, 2, 3, 4))
-- ,CHECK (NumberOfCandidates > 0 AND
NumberOfCandidates <= 100)
)
go

-- Insert some sample data
INSERT Entries (Quarter, SubjCode, NumberOfCandidates)
SELECT 1, 'A01', 117
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'A02', 30
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'A03', 263
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'A04', 15
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'B01', 57
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'B02', 32
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'B03', 14
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'A01', 198
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'A02', 54
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'A03', 202
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'A04', 19
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'B01', 42
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'B02', 40
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'B03', 18
UNION ALL
SELECT 2, 'B04', 16
go

-- Find subjects with over 100 entries, split them in units of max 100.
-- Declare max candidates per session as constant, to make maintenance
easier
DECLARE @MaxCandidatesPerSession int
SET @MaxCandidatesPerSession = 100

-- Make split entries for each full 100 in the original entries
-- A numbers table is needed for this step,
-- see http://www.aspfaq.com/show.asp?id=2516
INSERT INTO SplitEntries (Quarter, SubjCode, SplitNo, NumberOfCandidates)
SELECT Entries.Quarter,
Entries.SubjCode,
numbers.n / @MaxCandidatesPerSession,
@MaxCandidatesPerSession
FROM Entries
INNER JOIN numbers
ON numbers.n <= Entries.NumberOfCandidates
AND numbers.n % @MaxCandidatesPerSession = 0
UNION ALL
-- don't forget the remaining candidates after alloting the full 100's.
SELECT Entries.Quarter,
Entries.SubjCode,
1 + Entries.NumberOfCandidates / @MaxCandidatesPerSession,
Entries.NumberOfCandidates % @MaxCandidatesPerSession
FROM Entries
WHERE Entries.NumberOfCandidates % @MaxCandidatesPerSession <> 0

-- Here comes the code to combine the (split) entries into as little
-- examination sessions as possible.
-- Declare max candidates per session as constant, to make maintenance
easier
DECLARE @MaxCandidatesPerSession int
SET @MaxCandidatesPerSession = 100

-- Helper variables to control WHILE loops
DECLARE @AllDone char(1)
SET @AllDone = 'N'
DECLARE @SessionsFull char(1)

-- For each quarter, compute the minimal number of sessions needed and
insert rows for those sessions.
-- Note: minimal number of sessions needed = total applications / max per
session, rounded up.
-- A numbers table is needed for this step,
-- see http://www.aspfaq.com/show.asp?id=2516
INSERT INTO Sessions (Quarter, SessionNo, SpaceLeft)
SELECT Quarter,
(SELECT COALESCE(MAX(s.SessionNo), 0)
FROM Sessions AS s
WHERE s.Quarter = NeedByQuarter.Quarter) + n,
@MaxCandidatesPerSession
FROM (SELECT Quarter,
(SUM(NumberOfCandidates) + @MaxCandidatesPerSession -
1) / @MaxCandidatesPerSession AS MinNeeded
FROM SplitEntries
GROUP BY Quarter) AS NeedByQuarter
CROSS JOIN numbers
WHERE n BETWEEN 1 AND NeedByQuarter.MinNeeded
-- Keep adding and filling sessions until all split entries are assigned a
session
WHILE @AllDone = 'N'
BEGIN
SET @SessionsFull = 'N'

-- Keed adding split entries to sessions until they are all as full as
possible
WHILE @SessionsFull = 'N'
BEGIN
-- Add another split entry to each session that still has room for
another split entry.
-- Note that this is not a best fit algorithm, but rather a compromise
-- to keep the query simple (cough) and limit execution time.
-- Each session gets a ranking based on descending SpaceLeft (within
quarter), with SessionNo as tiebreaker.
-- Each split entry gets a ranking, based on descending
NumberOfCandidates (within quarter),
-- with SubjectCode and SplitNo as tiebreakers.
-- Split entries that won't fit any available session are omitted -
they'll wait for the next round of sessions.
-- The tables are joined on rank and if the NumberOfCandidates doesn't
exceed the space left, it is added.
-- The subquery is repeated twice, to satisfy ANSI standard syntax.
-- Execution time on MS SQL Server decreases if proprietary T-SQL
update syntax is used.
UPDATE SplitEntries
SET SessionNo = (SELECT s.SessionNo
FROM Sessions AS s
WHERE s.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter
AND s.SpaceLeft >=
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND (SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM Sessions AS s2
WHERE s2.Quarter =
SplitEntries.Quarter
AND (s2.SpaceLeft > s.SpaceLeft
OR (s2.SpaceLeft = s.SpaceLeft
AND s2.SessionNo <=
s.SessionNo)))
= (SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM SplitEntries AS se2
WHERE se2.Quarter =
SplitEntries.Quarter
AND se2.SessionNo IS
NULL
AND se2.NumberOfCandidates <=
(SELECT MAX(SpaceLeft)

FROM Sessions AS s3

WHERE s3.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter)
AND (se2.NumberOfCandidates >
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
OR (se2.NumberOfCandidates =
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND se2.SubjCode <
SplitEntries.SubjCode)
OR (se2.NumberOfCandidates =
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND se2.SubjCode =
SplitEntries.SubjCode
AND se2.SplitNo <=
SplitEntries.SplitNo))))
WHERE SessionNo IS NULL
AND NumberOfCandidates <= (SELECT MAX(SpaceLeft)
FROM Sessions AS b3
WHERE b3.Quarter =
SplitEntries.Quarter)
AND EXISTS (SELECT s.SessionNo
FROM Sessions AS s
WHERE s.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter
AND s.SpaceLeft >= SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND (SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM Sessions AS s2
WHERE s2.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter
AND (s2.SpaceLeft > s.SpaceLeft
OR (s2.SpaceLeft = s.SpaceLeft
AND s2.SessionNo <= s.SessionNo)))
= (SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM SplitEntries AS se2
WHERE se2.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter
AND se2.SessionNo IS NULL
AND se2.NumberOfCandidates <= (SELECT
MAX(SpaceLeft)
FROM
Sessions AS s3
WHERE
s3.Quarter = SplitEntries.Quarter)
AND (se2.NumberOfCandidates >
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
OR (se2.NumberOfCandidates =
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND se2.SubjCode <
SplitEntries.SubjCode)
OR (se2.NumberOfCandidates =
SplitEntries.NumberOfCandidates
AND se2.SubjCode =
SplitEntries.SubjCode
AND se2.SplitNo <=
SplitEntries.SplitNo))))

IF @@ROWCOUNT = 0
BEGIN
-- If no updates were done, all sessions are as full as possible and
inner loop stops
SET @SessionsFull = 'Y'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
-- One or more split entries were assigned to a session -
recalculate remaining room in all sessions
UPDATE Sessions
SET SpaceLeft = @MaxCandidatesPerSession
- (SELECT SUM(NumberOfCandidates)
FROM SplitEntries
WHERE SplitEntries.Quarter = Sessions.Quarter
AND SplitEntries.SessionNo =
Sessions.SessionNo)
END
END -- End inner loop (adding split entries to sessions)

-- All sessions are filled as far as possible, but maybe some split
entries are still not allotted to any session.
-- For each quarter, compute and insert the minimal number of extra
sessions needed.
-- (Note - this is basicallly a repeat of the query before the outermost
WHILE loop,
-- with an extra WHERE to skip split entries already assigned to
a session)
INSERT INTO Sessions (Quarter, SessionNo, SpaceLeft)
SELECT Quarter,
(SELECT COALESCE(MAX(s.SessionNo), 0)
FROM Sessions AS s
WHERE s.Quarter = NeedByQuarter.Quarter) + n,
@MaxCandidatesPerSession
FROM (SELECT Quarter,
(SUM(NumberOfCandidates) + @MaxCandidatesPerSession
- 1) / @MaxCandidatesPerSession AS MinNeeded
FROM SplitEntries
WHERE SessionNo IS NULL
GROUP BY Quarter) AS NeedByQuarter
CROSS JOIN numbers
WHERE n BETWEEN 1 AND NeedByQuarter.MinNeeded

IF @@ROWCOUNT = 0
BEGIN
-- No new sessions inserted can only mean that there are no more split
entries with SessionNo still NULL
SET @AllDone = 'Y'
END
END -- End outer loop (adding sessions until all split entries are
alotted)

-- All done!

Sorry for the line wrapping. My SQL code was obviously not formatted with
the 80-character usenet limitation in my mind <g>

Best, Hugo
--

(Remove _NO_ and _SPAM_ to get my e-mail address)
Jul 23 '05 #3
Thanks for the ideas. I'm not sure yet what it was, but soon after I
read your post I came up with a solution. I think I've completely
solved my root problem, and I kind of feeel silly for not seeing it in
the first place... I guess I never found any examples.

Anyway, this seems to be the fastest and easiest way to (in my case) to
identify a group of "orders" where the total number of "sets" = 12.
More on this later, here's what I got so far...

--Again, instead of inviting families to fill exactly 12 seats,
--I'm looking for the fewest OrderIDs
--where the number of Sets they contain totals exactly 12.
--This returns a value of 2,3,7

CREATE TABLE #Example
(
OrderID int,
SetCount int NULL
)

INSERT #Example VALUES (1,8)
INSERT #Example VALUES (2,7)
INSERT #Example VALUES (3,6)
INSERT #Example VALUES (4,3)
INSERT #Example VALUES (5,2)
INSERT #Example VALUES (6,DEFAULT)

SELECT TOP 1 a.SetCount AS SetA,
b.SetCount AS SetB,
c.SetCount AS SetC
FROM #Example a
INNER JOIN #Example b ON a.OrderID <> b.OrderID
INNER JOIN #Example c ON a.OrderID <> c.OrderID
AND c.OrderID <> b.OrderID
GROUP BY a.SetCount, b.SetCount, c.SetCount
HAVING (SUM(a.SetCount + b.SetCount + c.SetCount) = 12)

Jul 23 '05 #4
"stu_gots" <sl*******@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@c13g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
I have created a table of all the families in my neighborhood that I
can tolerate for an hour, and a count of all the members in each of the
families. I added an identity column and prioritized my potential
guests by the size of each family in descending order, like so:

Identity FamilyName SeatsNeeded
1 McClusky 8
2 Olson 7
3 Adams 6
4 Wilson 3
5 Sayjak 2

What is the easiest way to identify the first or only group of guests
that required EXACTLY 12 seats? The only solution, by the way, is to
invite the McClusky's, the Wilson's and the Sayjak's (7+3+2=12).


Ok, I have a solution. It is not going to have fabulous performance but it
seems to work.
The basic procedure that I use is:

Create a List (length = 1) of Families
Loop until length = count(Items)
Find Member Size of Each List
Delete all Lists where Size > desiredsize
If Size = desiredsize add list to Solutions
If you want to shorten runtime and find only smallest solutions end
here.
Build new lists from all remaining lists by adding each family not in the
list to the list.
End

Expanding the list back into the family names is left as an excercise for
the reader.

Regards,
Jim
-- BEGIN SQL
--CREATE SAMPLE DATA
create table #Dining (Fam integer, famname varchar(10), members integer)
insert into #Dining VALUES (1,'McClusky',8)
insert into #Dining VALUES (2,'Olson',7)
insert into #Dining Values (3,'Adams',6)
insert into #Dining Values (4,'Wilson',3)
insert into #Dining Values (5,'Sayjak',2)
insert into #Dining Values (6,'Test',4)

--CREATE TEMP TABLES FOR PROCESS
create table #sol(fams varchar(200), Total integer, maxfam integer, length
integer)
create table #solution(fams varchar(200), Total integer)

declare @length integer
declare @curmax integer -- Number of Items in table
declare @desiredsize integer

set @desiredsize = 13 -- Size to Find

select @curmax = Count(*) from #Dining
set @length = 1
insert into #sol(fams, maxfam, length) Select Fam, Fam, @length from
#Dining -- Singles

while @length < @curmax
BEGIN
set @length = @length + 1
insert into #sol(fams, maxfam, length ) Select a.Fams + ',' + CAST(b.Fam
as varchar(2)), b.fam, @length
from #sol a, #dining b
where a.maxfam < b.fam
delete #sol where #sol.length < @length
update #sol Set Total = t.mem from (Select Fams, sum(members) mem from
#Dining b, #sol a where ','+a.Fams+',' like '%,'+CAST(b.Fam as
varchar(2))+',%'
Group by Fams) t inner join #sol a on t.Fams = a.Fams

insert into #solution(fams,Total) SELECT #sol.fams, #sol.Total FROM #sol
where Total = @desiredsize

delete #sol where Total > @desiredsize
END

select * from #solution

--CLEAN UP
drop table #Dining
drop table #sol
drop table #solution
--END SQL
Jul 23 '05 #5
To elaborate, I am not interested cutting seconds or preserving system
resources. I'm working in pre-press during a swing shift, assembling
about 200 orders per evening containing a total of about 800 sets. This
is a print production solution... only 12 sets can pass through the
press at once in a variety of different circumstances too difficult to
explain. Orders, by the way, can not be split up to print in different
groups because of consistancy issues, and are consequently not sold in
groups of more than 12.

This will be a long series of loops that applies the grouping procedure
to a bout 20 or more different subgroups of orders. The object will be
to have as few ungrouped orders as possible when the procedure is out
of places to turn. Perhaps there is a better procedure than the cross
join I posted a bit ago (the full context of which would actually
return 12 values... '2', '3', '7', and nine NULLs... I just gave you
the abridged version). The reason I'm so thrilled my the cross join is
that it will do the job a lot better than the current method of
grouping orders (with two hands and a pot of coffee), and it is simple
enough for the beginner... someone will have to take over for me
eventually. I have a long way to go before I can automate the process,
but I'm pretty sure the most difficult brain-teasers are behind me.
What do you think... errors in my logic?

-badabing!

Jul 23 '05 #6
The following code will return all the permutations of 3 families to
get the result. It returns families #2, #4, #5. I couldn't figure out
how to narrow the permutations down to only combinations though.
select A,B,C
from
(
select a.orderid as A, b.orderid as B, c.orderid as C,
isnull(a.setcount,0) as AA, isnull(b.setcount,0) as BB,
isnull(c.setcount,0) as CC
from #Example A, #Example B, #Example C
) Derived
where
A<>B and A<>C and B<>C and
(AA+BB+CC) =12

Jul 23 '05 #7
Just thought it thru. Added top clause and order by clause. It now
returns one row #2, #4, #5. (Bonus style points for me :) Note this
only checks for combinations of 3 families. You'll need to modify for
combos of 4 etc.

select top 1 A,B,C
from
(
select a.orderid as A, b.orderid as B, c.orderid as C,
isnull(a.setcount,0) as AA, isnull(b.setcount,0) as BB,
isnull(c.setcount,0) as CC
from #Example A, #Example B, #Example C
) Derived
where
A<>B and A<>C and B<>C and
(AA+BB+CC) =12
order by A,B,C

Jul 23 '05 #8
Exactly what I was thinking. I suppose I could make use of up to 12
output fields (A, B, C, ..., K, L). Most of them would never contain
more than Null anyway, and I'd have them in the rare instance when my
procedure came down to a final group of 12 Orders, all with one set.

Jul 23 '05 #9
"stu_gots" <sl*******@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@c13g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
This will be a long series of loops that applies the grouping procedure
to a bout 20 or more different subgroups of orders. The object will be
to have as few ungrouped orders as possible when the procedure is out
of places to turn. Perhaps there is a better procedure than the cross
join I posted a bit ago (the full context of which would actually
return 12 values... '2', '3', '7', and nine NULLs... I just gave you
the abridged version). The reason I'm so thrilled my the cross join is
that it will do the job a lot better than the current method of
grouping orders (with two hands and a pot of coffee), and it is simple
enough for the beginner... someone will have to take over for me
eventually. I have a long way to go before I can automate the process,
but I'm pretty sure the most difficult brain-teasers are behind me.
What do you think... errors in my logic?

-badabing!

The Join that you have seems that it will work, however it looks difficult
to maintain to me, especially if the batch size changes. Is there some
reason you are subgrouping your orders? BTW this is a variant of a problem
called the Bin-Packing Problem and this problem is considered mathematically
hard (Technically, NP-Complete, for all of you geeks out there). The upshot
of which is that finding the 'best' solution isn't possible for the general
case in a reasonable amount of time. (While I know you said you aren't
concerned about time, reasonable in this case goes into hundreds of years
for not terrible large sets of data). For example: With the minimal data
set (5 samples) in the sample there are 27 different possible batches. With
10 there are 1014. With 200 there are 1.6x10^60.

Having Said that, I have made a couple revisions to accomodate batch
assignment. It will assign all jobs possible to batches, each batch will
have SetQty of 12. The Remainder of Jobs will not be batchable for Qty 12.
The current ordering creates each batch with the smallest number of jobs and
I suspect this to be reasonable at batching the most possible jobs, although
this is not guaranteed. The only caveat in the current routine is that any
set with qty 12 gets set to Batch #0 to indicate it must be run separately.
Ideally each of these should be given individual batch numbers and probably
the batches should be prioritized in some manner.

Let me know how it goes.

Jim

--BEGIN SQL
--CREATE SAMPLE DATA
create table #Jobs (JobNum integer, JobName varchar(10), Qty integer)
insert into #Jobs VALUES (1,'McClusky',8)
insert into #Jobs VALUES (2,'Olson',7)
insert into #Jobs Values (3,'Adams',6)
insert into #Jobs Values (4,'Wilson',3)
insert into #Jobs Values (5,'Sayjak',2)
insert into #Jobs Values (6,'Test',4)
insert into #Jobs VALUES (7,'MAX',12)
--CREATE TEMP TABLES FOR PROCESSING
create table #sol(JobNums varchar(200), Total integer, maxJobNum integer,
length integer)
create table #solution(JobNums varchar(200), Total integer)
create table #batches(batchnum integer, setnum integer, qty integer)

--DECLARE VARIABLES
declare @length integer
declare @curmax integer
declare @desiredsize integer
declare @found integer
declare @done integer
declare @batchnum integer

set @desiredsize = 12 -- BATCH SIZE SHOULD BE PASSED INTO SP
set @done = 0
set @batchnum = 0

-- SINCE EACH SET MUST BE > 0 THERE CAN BE NO MORE THAN 12 SETS IN A VALID
SOLUTION
set @curmax = @desiredsize

-- SET ALL SINGLES to Batch #0
insert into #batches SELECT @batchnum, JobNum, Qty From #Jobs where Qty =
@desiredsize

While (@done = 0)
BEGIN
delete from #sol
set @length = 1
--START WITH SINGLE SET BATCHES
insert into #sol(JobNums, maxJobNum, length)
Select JobNum, JobNum, @length
from #Jobs left join #batches on #Jobs.JobNum = #batches.SetNum
where SetNum is Null -- Singles
set @found = 0
while (@length < @curmax) and (@found = 0)
BEGIN
set @length = @length + 1
--ADD A SET TO EACH BATCH
insert into #sol(JobNums, maxJobNum, length ) Select a.JobNums + ',' +
CAST(b.JobNum as varchar(2)), b.JobNum, @length
from #sol a, (#Jobs b left join #batches c on b.JobNum =
c.SetNum)
where a.maxJobNum < b.JobNum and c.SetNum is Null
--DELETE SMALLER BATCHES
delete #sol where #sol.length < @length
--CALC BATCH SIZE
update #sol Set Total = t.mem from (Select JobNums, sum(Qty) mem from
#Jobs b, #sol a where ','+a.JobNums+',' like '%,'+CAST(b.JobNum as
varchar(2))+',%'
Group by JobNums) t inner join #sol a on t.JobNums = a.JobNums

--SET SOLUTIONS IF BATCH SIZE = DESIRED SIZE
insert into #solution(JobNums,Total) SELECT #sol.JobNums, #sol.Total
FROM #sol where Total = @desiredsize
IF @@ROWCOUNT > 0
BEGIN
--IF FOUND START OVER
set @found = 1
END
--GET RID OF ALL TOO LARGE BATCHES
delete #sol where Total >= @desiredsize
END
IF @found=0 --WE SIZED OUT SO WE ARE DONE
BEGIN
set @done = 1
END
--ASSIGN FOUND SOLUTIONS TO A BATCH
set @batchnum = @batchnum+1
insert into #batches select @batchnum, a.JobNum, a.Qty from #Jobs a inner
join #solution b on ','+b.JobNums+',' like '%,'+CAST(a.JobNum as
varchar(2))+',%'
delete from #solution
END

--SHOW FOUND BATCHES
select * from #batches
--SHOW REMAINDER
select a.* from #Jobs a left join #batches b on a.JobNum = b.SetNum where
b.SetNum is null

drop table #Jobs
drop table #sol
drop table #solution
drop table #batches

Jul 23 '05 #10
Actually, I think you may have to create several blocks of code. The
first block checks if combos of 2 return a resultset. If not then try
combos of 3. If not then try combos of 4. I may be wrong but here's
why. If I take your sample data but don't insert the 6th family with
no setcounts. The following query returns zero rows. The cross join
assumes that you're going to use 4 and exactly 4 families

CREATE TABLE #Example
(
OrderID int,
SetCount int NULL
)

INSERT #Example VALUES (1,8)
INSERT #Example VALUES (2,7)
INSERT #Example VALUES (3,6)
INSERT #Example VALUES (4,3)
INSERT #Example VALUES (5,2)

select
top 1 A,B,C,D
from
(
select a.orderid as A, b.orderid as B, c.orderid as C, d.orderid as D,
isnull(a.setcount,0) as AA, isnull(b.setcount,0) as BB,
isnull(c.setcount,0) as CC, isnull(d.setcount,0) as DD
from #Example A, #Example B, #Example C, #Example D
) Derived
where
A<>B and
A<>C and B<>C and
A<>D and B<>D and C<>D and
(AA+BB+CC+DD) =12
order by A,B,C,D

Jul 23 '05 #11
On 21 Jan 2005 09:00:03 -0800, stu_gots wrote:

(snip)
Anyway, this seems to be the fastest and easiest way to (in my case) to
identify a group of "orders" where the total number of "sets" = 12.
More on this later, here's what I got so far...

(snip)

Hi Silvio,

This will work, but the downside is that it will only search for sets of
three. Expanding the code to look for sets of other sizes as well will
make it quite ugly.

A quick improvement to this code is this:

SELECT TOP 1 a.SetCount AS SetA,
b.SetCount AS SetB,
c.SetCount AS SetC
FROM #Example AS a
INNER JOIN #Example AS b
ON b.OrderID > a.OrderID
INNER JOIN #Example AS c
ON c.OrderID > b.OrderID
WHERE a.SetCount + b.SetCount + c.SetCount = 12

The change of <> to > means each combination is tried only once.
The removal of an unneeded (and potentially dangerous? just a gut feeling,
didn't really dive into it) GROUP BY and SUM simplifies the query.

More in a reply to one of your other posts.

Best, Hugo
--

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Jul 23 '05 #12
OK... now you're all just reading way into my project and spoiling all
my fun. Just kidding... thank you all again for the input. It just
doesn't seem right that you should offer up all these practically
cut-and-paste-able examples.

I am intending to cycle through all the variations that must run in
groups, such as paper stock, run quantity, the type ink and number of
inks (only two inks per pass, one pass per day, and some inks must run
alone). We would rarely have more than 100 orders for the most common
run variation, one ink (black) on plain white stock. I can use a
simpler procedure to find groups in large result sets... up until this
morning, my biggest dilema was finding the less obvious groups in
smaller result sets.

What really complicates the task is the ability to duplicate a job set
one or more times on the printing plate. For instance, if I had six
remaining sets I could place each twice on the plate for a total of 12
sets, which would then be printed on half as much paper. Or, in another
instance, one set of 1000 and one set of 2000 could be placed on the
plate four and eight times, respectively, and printed 250 times. This
was the first issue I tackled, but the last option I'll use. Reducing
the number of impressions for each run, increases the overall number of
plate changes throughout the day, which in turn leads to more over-time
hours for the well-paid press staff.

It is also essential that I arrange my final production schedule for
two identical offset printers, and ensure the fewest number of ink
changes possible. Confusing enough, yet?

It gets worse. But I have a good grasp on it so far, and with some of
the ideas I saw here, I should have something to show for my sleepless
nights in about two weeks.

Silvio

Jul 23 '05 #13
On 21 Jan 2005 10:17:58 -0800, stu_gots wrote:
To elaborate, I am not interested cutting seconds or preserving system
resources. I'm working in pre-press during a swing shift, assembling
about 200 orders per evening containing a total of about 800 sets. This
is a print production solution... only 12 sets can pass through the
press at once in a variety of different circumstances too difficult to
explain. Orders, by the way, can not be split up to print in different
groups because of consistancy issues, and are consequently not sold in
groups of more than 12.

This will be a long series of loops that applies the grouping procedure
to a bout 20 or more different subgroups of orders. The object will be
to have as few ungrouped orders as possible when the procedure is out
of places to turn.
Hi Silvio,

Before starting to code, I'd like to get the business requirement a little
more clear. Your description IS already very clear, but I still have one
question. If (as you describe) you make as many batches of exactly 12 sets
as possible, you'll end up with one or more orders that can't be combined
to a batch of 12. How do you deal with those? My logic says that you'd
combine them into one (or maybe even more) slightly smaller batches. But
it might also be that those orders are simply not served, but postponed to
the next day when they (hopefully) CAN be combined with new orders for a
total of 12 sets.

If there is a machine limitation (or a cost-based requirement) that each
batch always prints exactly 12 sets, then you're (IMO) on the right track.
But if you really want to serve all orders in as little batches as
possible, you might want to rethink. It *seems* logical that striving for
full batches results in the least number of batches - but that's not
always the case! Consider 6 orders, 3 for 4 sets and 3 for 7 sets. If you
look for combinations of 12 sets, you'll combine the first three orders
into one batch. You'll be left with the other three orders, each for 7
sets, that can't be combined and have to go in seperate batches. The total
number of batches is 4. However, if you combine each order for 7 sets with
one order for 4 sets, you'd serve all orders in three batches of 11 sets
each.

If your true goal is to minimize the number of batches, I'd urge you to
take a look at the code I posted yesterday. If needed, I can help you to
adapt it to your situation.
Perhaps there is a better procedure than the cross
join I posted a bit ago (the full context of which would actually
return 12 values... '2', '3', '7', and nine NULLs... I just gave you
the abridged version).


Maybe, maybe not. The main problem I see with this query is that it forms
ony one batch at a time. You then have to go and remove the rders in that
batch from the total set and repeat the procedure. Not very efficient
(though I fully agree that it beats manual grouping <g>).

I'm still mulling over some possibilities to do this set-based, forming
all (or at least as many as possible) 12-set batches at once. I'm not sure
yet if the ideas I have will eventually combine or not. But do let me know
if you actually wwanted to serve all orders in as little batches as
possible - in that case, I'll stop mulling and start customizing my
solution for the bin packing problem to your specific needs.

Best, Hugo
--

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Jul 23 '05 #14
To elaborate on my previous post, no orders are postponed... the orders
that can't be put in groups totaling 12 sets (e.g., 3 orders each with
1 set, 1000 copies per set, black ink on standard white stock) can be
grouped with what was left over from the next group with identical
traits, only fewer quantity (6 orders each with 1 set, 500 copies,
black ink, standard stock).

So these orders...

1000 Copies, blk, white stock
ID SetCount
1 1
2 1
3 1

And these orders...

500 Copies, blk, white stock
ID SetCount
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1

Become this group of 12, scheduled for 500 imprents (copies)...

ID SetCount (this time meaning the number of copies on the plate)
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
Consider 6 orders, 3 for 4 sets and 3 for 7 sets. If you
look for combinations of 12 sets, you'll combine the first three orders into one batch. You'll be left with the other three orders, each for 7 sets, that can't be combined and have to go in seperate batches. The total number of batches is 4. However, if you combine each order for 7 sets with one order for 4 sets, you'd serve all orders in three batches of 11 sets each.


I am somewhat new to this business, but schedulers will argue whether
it is financially more efficient overall to ensure that every plate is
full, or occasionally leave a spot on the plate empty (as would be the
case with an 11-set run). Some will waste four or five spots in a night
our of many dozen runs, but the seemingly good schedulers don't do it
at all. There is a lot more to the press side than printing, and I get
the feeling they don't like empty spaces on the plates.

I don't mean to get help with any of this, it's really to big... I just
thought you'd be interested that a lot of wholesale offset printers do
this the old fashion way.

Sil

Jul 23 '05 #15
I find this discussion quite interesting. We have a somewhat related setup;
we print a large number of strip maps each month, chosen from about 750
stock numbers according to the amount ordered and the amount left in
inventory. Maps are printed in pairs (actually there are 6 images on a
plate, but for production reasons we always do 3 of one map and 3 of the
other). The production quantities vary wildly, from a few thousand to half
a million. We are allowed to overprint by any amount since we just retain
the stock for orders later in the year, but once a year the maps are
revised and any leftover stock must be destroyed unpaid for, so it's
important to keep the quantities down. On the other hand if we print enough
in one run to last several months, that is a big win. The final constraint
is that the orders - which are delivered to any of 300 clubs each month -
are picked and packed in a specific order, and the further "out-of-order"
the press run gets, the more temporary storage space is wasted.

The solution I came up with is embarrassingly simple-minded. Step 1, any
maps whose print volume is larger than an upper limit are paired with
themselves. Step 2, we walk through the list of maps (procedurally, not
set-based SQL) looking for any exact-press-quantity match within a distance
25 stock numbers; if one is found, that makes a pair. Step 3, we walk
through what remains of the list finding the matching map within 25 numbers
that is within 25,000 of the same press quantity; those make a pair. Step
4, we pair anything left over with itself.

The whole procedure takes a few minutes because it is procedural, not set-
based, so there's no optimization going on. There are also one or two other
constraints I haven't mentioned. But the fact is that it isn't worth my
time to develop an algorithm for a more optimal press run (even though I've
suggested many times that I search for a new algorithm), because as long as
we let the inventory run out before revision time so that the destroys are
low, anything extra can just sit on the shelf. They just have me tweak the
formula for deciding the initial required print volume once in a while, but
the matching algorithm stays the same.

Jul 23 '05 #16
I'm doing fine business stationary... not everything is grouped in
12's, but cards are the biggest business and the only scheduling
headache, 12 of them fit on 8.5x11 stock. Sets, by the way, are cards
with different names but identical layouts and main lines (eg. Wayne
County Sherrif's Office). The grouping job in itself isn't even a real
headache, as one person can do it in a little over an hour. But as the
paper work for each order is grouped in sets of 12, the scheduler needs
to write out a form labeling the group's run number, paper stock, inks
and run quantity. Then, those who do the grunt work of assembling the
plates, need to hand-write on the scheduler's form specific details
about every set (all information taken straight from a printout of
stored information). Then, the scheduler spends at least an hour
preparing reports for the night in Excel. It's really quite a scene.
I'm sure I can eliminate half those steps in less than 5 minutes. For
now though, as you might guess, I'm doing the grunt work from above...
and have no access to the FoxPro database, other than editing and
viewing orders.

Funny thing, though... all the details I'd need are provided to us
every night in a giant Excel spreadsheet, which the database spits out
shortly after 5 p.m., after all the orders are entered. Initially, I'm
going to set this up with a Web page as the front end, and one of my
home computers as the back end. I'll upload to my computer at home the
Excel file, which contains all the details for every set from every
order:

OrderID, SetID, Mainline, Name, Stock, Quantity, Ink1, Ink2, Ink3

....which I am able to transform into three related tables, [Orders],
[Sets], and [Inks], and run the many processes I've been discussing
above. Eventually I'll have it spit out an Access .mdb file, complete
with all the automatic reports they need to accompany each and every
group.

Once I can show that it works well, I'll begin to tune it up a little,
and likely move the whole instance of SQL on site...but as you might
have also guessed, I'm still quite new to instances, stored procedures
and everything else that makes SQL Server different from Access, so I'm
hesitant to go that far any time soon. I no doubt will post problems as
they arise, given the amount of help I received... likely, though, in a
seperate topic. In fact, I have another question in mind if I don't
find a solution by this afternoon.

Sil

Jul 23 '05 #17
Google for "knapsack problem". I believe your problem
has been proved NP complete, meaning that if you want
an optimal solution (as opposed to just *some* soln),
you cannot do better than an exhaustive search.

In this case, you could do an exhaustive search for
all parties to which 1 family, 2 families, 3, etc,
up to 12 families, are invited (the 12 family case
is a 12-way self-join). The result is the union of
all the queries.

If you want just any solution, or an "often nearly optimal"
solution, there might be heuristics that will help,
depending on the statistics of your data (like for example,
families only ever have from 2 to 6 members).

Clifford Heath.
Jul 23 '05 #18
Incidentally, I tried the 12-way self-join, as I hinted I would in a
previous post. Since most of the 12 result fields would come up null
while grouping an average of six families (the bulk of the families are
grouped with a simpler algorith until it fails to find the last
remaining groups), I figured the 12-way self-join wouldn't take too
long... actually, it turned out to take almost four minutes with the
table:

ID SetCount
1 8
2 7
3 6
4 3
5 2
6 Null

I can't be sure that my tables won't include more than 12 records when
the procedure resorts to the cartesian solution, so I limited the
self-join to six. That should certainly be more than enough in my
situation.

I'll take a look at what this "heuristics" business is all about...
haven't heard of it yet.

Jul 23 '05 #19
Fantastic! I should have seen that knapsack problem before. It's not a
big deal that I can't find THAT optimal solution, although it would be
nice. It sure illustrate a serious flaw in artificial intelligence that
I never noticed.

Jul 23 '05 #20
On 24 Jan 2005 04:51:11 -0800, stu_gots wrote:
Fantastic! I should have seen that knapsack problem before. It's not a
big deal that I can't find THAT optimal solution, although it would be
nice. It sure illustrate a serious flaw in artificial intelligence that
I never noticed.


Hi Silvio,

The code I posted earlier in this thread for the knapsack or bin packing
problem results in an almost optimal solution, but much faster than trying
all possibilities. Did you already try to adapt it for your case?

I've been trying to find an efficient way to form groups of exactly 12
sets, but I'm afraid I'm stuck. I've decided to explain the way I was
heading - maybe you are able to go on where I am stranded.

My idea was to use a temp table and populate it first with "groups" of one
order - the number of groups would equal the number of orders. Next step
would be to join these groups with the orders, to create all possible
groups of two orders, except those that would exceed the 12-set limit. The
number of groups in this stage would be maximum (#orders) * (#orders - 1);
in reality slightly less. I'd repeat joining the temp "groups" table to
the orders table until none of the groups could be expanded without
exceeding the 12-set limit. Then, I'd remove all groups with less than 12
sets.

This is the point where I'm stuck. The above would result in a table with
all possible groups that total 12 sets, but many orders would be used in
more than one group. The next step would have been to use this temp table
to find a combination of groups in which as many orders as possible are
used, but no order is used more than once. I don't see an elegant way to
solve this step.

And since the first part (the steps to create the temp "groups" table) is
quite brute-force, I actually think it wouldn't beat a "one group at a
time" solution anyway.

That being said, it certainly was an intriguing and thought-provoking
puzzle. Thanks!!

Best, Hugo
--

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Jul 23 '05 #21
"stu_gots" <sl*******@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@c13g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...
Incidentally, I tried the 12-way self-join, as I hinted I would in a
previous post. Since most of the 12 result fields would come up null
while grouping an average of six families (the bulk of the families are
grouped with a simpler algorith until it fails to find the last
remaining groups), I figured the 12-way self-join wouldn't take too
long... actually, it turned out to take almost four minutes with the
table:

ID SetCount
1 8
2 7
3 6
4 3
5 2
6 Null

I can't be sure that my tables won't include more than 12 records when
the procedure resorts to the cartesian solution, so I limited the
self-join to six. That should certainly be more than enough in my
situation.

I'll take a look at what this "heuristics" business is all about...
haven't heard of it yet.


I've come to this thread late and haven't read through it fully but
I'll offer my take.

Say we have a set of natural numbers, i.e., a collection of distinct
integers each >= 1, and we're interested in finding subsets whose
elementwise sum equals S. We know that for any positive integer
N, 1+2+...+N = N(N+1)/2, e.g., 1+2+3+4+5 = 5(5+1)/2 = 15. This
also tells us that the greatest number of distinct positive integers that
sum to 15 is 5. Generally, the greatest number of distinct positive
integers that sum to S is found by solving N(N+1)/2 = S for N and then
taking the floor of the result, that is, the integer portion. If S=12, then
no more than four distinct positive integers can sum to this value. So
the maximum number of distinct positive integers summing to S is
proportional to the square root of S, or O(SQRT(S)).

When we're potentially dealing with a multiset, and not just a set, of
natural numbers then the multiplicity of integers must be accounted
for. This means that the greatest number of positive integers that sum
to S is S, that is, S ones. This relationship is linear, or O(S), and
obviously
grows much faster than the square root of S. However, we can consider
the multiset of positive integers to be a set where each element is a tuple
of a value and its number of occurrences, e.g., the multiset {1,1,2,4,4,4}
can be represented as the set {(1,2),(2,1),(4,3)}. This allows us to revert
to finding sequences of distinct positive integers, however, each value is
also accompanied, and multiplied, by an appropriate number of
occurrences to sum to S. So we can craft a solution that is similarly
O(SQRT(S)), within a constant factor of two of the solution for simply
distinct positive integers summing to S. If S=12 and our addends are
drawn from a multiset, then no more than eight values are possible,
four distinct positive integers and their four corresponding occurrence
numbers, e.g., 1*1+2*2+3*1+4*1 which setwise is {(1,1),(2,2),(3,1),(4,1)}.

Let's look at an SQL solution that will allow sequences of up to five
distinct
positive integers and their corresponding occurrence numbers. This will
allow us to find all addends that sum to < 6(7)/2 = 21, that is, to 20.

CREATE TABLE V
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>0) PRIMARY KEY, -- distinct positive integer
n INT NOT NULL CHECK (n>0) -- occurrence number
)

-- Sample data
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (1, 20) -- 20 values of 1
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (2, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (3, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (4, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (5, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (6, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (7, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (8, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (9, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (10, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (11, 20)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (12, 20)

CREATE VIEW Digits (d)
AS
SELECT 0 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2 UNION ALL
SELECT 3 UNION ALL SELECT 4 UNION ALL SELECT 5 UNION ALL
SELECT 6 UNION ALL SELECT 7 UNION ALL SELECT 8 UNION ALL
SELECT 9

-- Table of all nonnegative integers to some arbitrary upper bound
CREATE TABLE N
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>=0) PRIMARY KEY
)

INSERT INTO N (i)
SELECT Ones.d + 10*Tens.d + 100*Hundreds.d -- from 0 to 999
FROM Digits AS Ones
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Tens
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Hundreds

DECLARE @s INT -- targeted sum
SET @s = 12 -- find all positive integers that sum to this value

SELECT V1.i AS v1, N1.i AS n1,
V2.i AS v2, N2.i AS n2,
V3.i AS v3, N3.i AS n3,
V4.i AS v4, N4.i AS n4,
V5.i AS v5, N5.i AS n5
FROM V AS V1
INNER JOIN
N AS N1
ON V1.i <= @s AND
N1.i BETWEEN 1 AND V1.n AND
N1.i <= @s / V1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V2
ON V2.i < @s AND
V2.i > V1.i AND
V2.i <= @s - V1.i * N1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N2
ON N2.i BETWEEN 1 AND V2.n AND
N2.i <= (@s - V1.i * N1.i) / V2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V3
ON V3.i < @s AND
V3.i > V2.i AND
V3.i <= @s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N3
ON N3.i BETWEEN 1 AND V3.n AND
N3.i <= (@s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i) / V3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V4
ON V4.i < @s AND
V4.i > V3.i AND
V4.i <= @s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N4
ON N4.i BETWEEN 1 AND V4.n AND
N4.i <= (@s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i)
/ V4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V5
ON V5.i < @s AND
V5.i > V4.i AND
V5.i <= @s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i -
V4.i * N4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N5
ON N5.i BETWEEN 1 AND V5.n AND
N5.i =
(@s - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i *
N4.i) / V5.i
WHERE V1.i * N1.i +
COALESCE(V2.i * N2.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V3.i * N3.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V4.i * N4.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V5.i * N5.i, 0) = @s

With the sample data and target sum given, 77 results are returned in a
fraction of a second (SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 on a very fast single-processor
box).

--
JAG
Jul 23 '05 #22
I haven't tried it yet, but this code appears to be good as gold to me.
I'll post again in a bit.

Sil

Jul 23 '05 #23
Thanks y'all,

Those were some interesting results, John. I'm thinking if I break the
results out over a cross tab with each of the 77 rows representing a
possible combination and each column representing a possible number of
sets (only 1 through 12 in my case), I should be able to identify the
fewest combinations where the column totals come closest to the values
in TABLE V... i.e., identify the fewest groups of 12, with the fewest
leftovers.

The sample data you provided in TABLE V, for instance, would be grouped
easily with my first and simplest procedure as 20 groups of 12's, 20
groups of 11's and 1's, 20 groups of 10's and 2's, etc... ending with
10 groups of 6's. In this case, I would have found the most ideal
grouping possible (a total of 130 groups) simply by starting at the top
record and adding the next highest value with a sum not exceeding 12.
Most of the time, however, this procedure has leftovers or gets tripped
up by a combination similar to the one in my first post. If leftovers
are unavoidable, I can simply group them with sets from a lesser
quantity... 8 sets of 500 can be grouped with 2 sets of 1000, the
latter placed twice on a plate so a run count of 500 sheets produced
1000 copies. For that I'm pretty much using a variation of the first
code I posted along with numerous suggestions. I guess I'll attach an
example below in case anyone's curious and still following this. To
be certain, I'm neither a mathematician nor a dba, and what I do
understand is difficult for me to explain!

Anyway I'm not sure I said it before, but I don't think a perfect
solution to my entire task is a knapsack problem. If it's not, I'm
pretty certain you've lead me in the right direction. In any case, I
think I need to revisit everything from the start once I get to the
bottom of all this mathematics business.

Thanks again y'all,
Sil

--BEGIN SQL

CREATE TABLE #Jobs
(TempID int identity PRIMARY KEY,
JobID int NULL,
Quantity int DEFAULT 0,
SetCount int DEFAULT 0,
GroupID int NULL)

--some examples of leftover sets of various quantities
--to be ordered by quantity then sets

INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (106, 250, 1)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (105, 250, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (104, 500, 1)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (103, 500, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (102, 1000, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (101, 1500, 1)
--each record will be assigned a GroupID when finished.
--There will be three distinct groups using these records.

INSERT #Jobs DEFAULT VALUES
--I still can't see any way around adding these
--null and zero values for the upcoming insert statement.

CREATE TABLE #Groups
(GroupID int identity PRIMARY KEY,
RunCount int,
SetA int,
SetB int,
SetC int,
SetD int,
SetE int,
SetF int)

CREATE TABLE #Divisors
(DivisorID tinyint identity PRIMARY KEY,
Divisor tinyint NOT NULL)

--this table will help calculate the run counts.
--I'm not sure of the significance, but the run count
--is always the lowest quantity in the group
--divided by one of these numbers....

INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (1)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (2)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (3)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (4)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (6)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (8)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (9)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (12)

DECLARE @RunCount smallint
DECLARE @MinQ smallint
DECLARE @Cursor tinyint
DECLARE @Divisor tinyint
DECLARE @Group tinyint

SET @Cursor = (SELECT TOP 1 DivisorID FROM #Divisors)
--or SET @Cursor = 1, for short.

WHILE (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM #Jobs
WHERE (GroupID IS NULL AND JobID IS NOT NULL)) > 0
BEGIN

SET @Divisor = (SELECT TOP 1 Divisor FROM #Divisors
WHERE DivisorID = @Cursor)

SET @MinQ = (SELECT TOP 1 Quantity
FROM #Jobs WHERE (GroupID IS NULL AND JobID IS NOT NULL)
ORDER BY Quantity)

SET @RunCount = @MinQ / @Divisor
--@RunCount is for reporting only, to identify the
--common denominator that will be used to group the jobs
--if the following insert statement succeeds. Since @RunCount
--is often a rounded intiger, it is not used in calculations.
--Would be nice to round this particular variable up, though.

INSERT #Groups (RunCount, SetA, SetB, SetC, SetD, SetE, SetF)
SELECT TOP 1 @RunCount,
A.JobID,
B.JobID,
C.JobID,
D.JobID,
E.JobID,
F.JobID
FROM #Jobs A
INNER JOIN #Jobs B ON A.TempID < B.TempID OR B.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs C ON B.TempID < C.TempID OR C.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs D ON C.TempID < D.TempID OR D.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs E ON D.TempID < E.TempID OR E.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs F ON E.TempID < F.TempID OR F.JobID IS NULL
WHERE (@Divisor * A.Quantity / @MinQ * A.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * B.Quantity / @MinQ * B.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * C.Quantity / @MinQ * C.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * D.Quantity / @MinQ * D.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * E.Quantity / @MinQ * E.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * F.Quantity / @MinQ * F.SetCount) = 12
AND (A.Quantity = @MinQ)
AND (A.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (B.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (C.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (D.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (E.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (F.GroupID IS NULL)
ORDER BY A.Quantity, A.TempID DESC, B.Quantity, B.TempID DESC,
C.Quantity, C.TempID DESC, D.Quantity, D.TempID DESC,
E.Quantity, E.TempID DESC, F.Quantity, F.TempID DESC

IF @@ROWCOUNT = 0
BEGIN
SET @Cursor = (SELECT TOP 1 DivisorID FROM #Divisors
WHERE DivisorID > @Cursor ORDER BY DivisorID)
CONTINUE
END

--If the insert statement could not any jobs where the sets
--laid out proportionally on the plate do not fill 12 spots,
--@cursor advances and the while statement restarts.
--Otherwise, the new GroupID is assigned to each job
--in the new group...

SET @Group = (SELECT TOP 1 GroupID FROM #Groups
ORDER BY GroupID DESC)

UPDATE #Jobs
SET GroupID = @Group
WHERE (JobID = (SELECT SetA FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetB FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetC FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetD FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetE FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetF FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))

SET @Cursor = 1
END

--@Cursor returns to 1, and the while statement continues
--grouping any remaining jobs.

DELETE FROM #Jobs WHERE JobID IS NULL
--just to get the null and zero record out of the report.

SELECT * FROM #Groups
SELECT * FROM #Jobs

--clean up

DROP TABLE #Groups
DROP TABLE #Jobs
DROP TABLE #Divisors

Jul 23 '05 #24
stu_gots wrote:
Thanks y'all,

Those were some interesting results, John. I'm thinking if I break the results out over a cross tab with each of the 77 rows representing a
possible combination and each column representing a possible number of sets (only 1 through 12 in my case), I should be able to identify the
fewest combinations where the column totals come closest to the values in TABLE V... i.e., identify the fewest groups of 12, with the fewest
leftovers.

The sample data you provided in TABLE V, for instance, would be grouped easily with my first and simplest procedure as 20 groups of 12's, 20
groups of 11's and 1's, 20 groups of 10's and 2's, etc... ending with
10 groups of 6's. In this case, I would have found the most ideal
grouping possible (a total of 130 groups) simply by starting at the top record and adding the next highest value with a sum not exceeding 12.
Most of the time, however, this procedure has leftovers or gets tripped up by a combination similar to the one in my first post. If leftovers
are unavoidable, I can simply group them with sets from a lesser
quantity... 8 sets of 500 can be grouped with 2 sets of 1000, the
latter placed twice on a plate so a run count of 500 sheets produced
1000 copies. For that I'm pretty much using a variation of the first
code I posted along with numerous suggestions. I guess I'll attach an
example below in case anyone's curious and still following this. To
be certain, I'm neither a mathematician nor a dba, and what I do
understand is difficult for me to explain!

Anyway I'm not sure I said it before, but I don't think a perfect
solution to my entire task is a knapsack problem. If it's not, I'm
pretty certain you've lead me in the right direction. In any case, I
think I need to revisit everything from the start once I get to the
bottom of all this mathematics business.

Thanks again y'all,
Sil

--BEGIN SQL

CREATE TABLE #Jobs
(TempID int identity PRIMARY KEY,
JobID int NULL,
Quantity int DEFAULT 0,
SetCount int DEFAULT 0,
GroupID int NULL)

--some examples of leftover sets of various quantities
--to be ordered by quantity then sets

INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (106, 250, 1)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (105, 250, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (104, 500, 1)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (103, 500, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (102, 1000, 2)
INSERT #Jobs (JobID, Quantity, SetCount)
VALUES (101, 1500, 1)
--each record will be assigned a GroupID when finished.
--There will be three distinct groups using these records.

INSERT #Jobs DEFAULT VALUES
--I still can't see any way around adding these
--null and zero values for the upcoming insert statement.

CREATE TABLE #Groups
(GroupID int identity PRIMARY KEY,
RunCount int,
SetA int,
SetB int,
SetC int,
SetD int,
SetE int,
SetF int)

CREATE TABLE #Divisors
(DivisorID tinyint identity PRIMARY KEY,
Divisor tinyint NOT NULL)

--this table will help calculate the run counts.
--I'm not sure of the significance, but the run count
--is always the lowest quantity in the group
--divided by one of these numbers....

INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (1)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (2)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (3)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (4)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (6)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (8)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (9)
INSERT #Divisors (Divisor)
VALUES (12)

DECLARE @RunCount smallint
DECLARE @MinQ smallint
DECLARE @Cursor tinyint
DECLARE @Divisor tinyint
DECLARE @Group tinyint

SET @Cursor = (SELECT TOP 1 DivisorID FROM #Divisors)
--or SET @Cursor = 1, for short.

WHILE (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM #Jobs
WHERE (GroupID IS NULL AND JobID IS NOT NULL)) > 0
BEGIN

SET @Divisor = (SELECT TOP 1 Divisor FROM #Divisors
WHERE DivisorID = @Cursor)

SET @MinQ = (SELECT TOP 1 Quantity
FROM #Jobs WHERE (GroupID IS NULL AND JobID IS NOT NULL)
ORDER BY Quantity)

SET @RunCount = @MinQ / @Divisor
--@RunCount is for reporting only, to identify the
--common denominator that will be used to group the jobs
--if the following insert statement succeeds. Since @RunCount
--is often a rounded intiger, it is not used in calculations.
--Would be nice to round this particular variable up, though.

INSERT #Groups (RunCount, SetA, SetB, SetC, SetD, SetE, SetF)
SELECT TOP 1 @RunCount,
A.JobID,
B.JobID,
C.JobID,
D.JobID,
E.JobID,
F.JobID
FROM #Jobs A
INNER JOIN #Jobs B ON A.TempID < B.TempID OR B.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs C ON B.TempID < C.TempID OR C.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs D ON C.TempID < D.TempID OR D.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs E ON D.TempID < E.TempID OR E.JobID IS NULL
INNER JOIN #Jobs F ON E.TempID < F.TempID OR F.JobID IS NULL
WHERE (@Divisor * A.Quantity / @MinQ * A.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * B.Quantity / @MinQ * B.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * C.Quantity / @MinQ * C.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * D.Quantity / @MinQ * D.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * E.Quantity / @MinQ * E.SetCount)
+ (@Divisor * F.Quantity / @MinQ * F.SetCount) = 12
AND (A.Quantity = @MinQ)
AND (A.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (B.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (C.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (D.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (E.GroupID IS NULL)
AND (F.GroupID IS NULL)
ORDER BY A.Quantity, A.TempID DESC, B.Quantity, B.TempID DESC,
C.Quantity, C.TempID DESC, D.Quantity, D.TempID DESC,
E.Quantity, E.TempID DESC, F.Quantity, F.TempID DESC

IF @@ROWCOUNT = 0
BEGIN
SET @Cursor = (SELECT TOP 1 DivisorID FROM #Divisors
WHERE DivisorID > @Cursor ORDER BY DivisorID)
CONTINUE
END

--If the insert statement could not any jobs where the sets
--laid out proportionally on the plate do not fill 12 spots,
--@cursor advances and the while statement restarts.
--Otherwise, the new GroupID is assigned to each job
--in the new group...

SET @Group = (SELECT TOP 1 GroupID FROM #Groups
ORDER BY GroupID DESC)

UPDATE #Jobs
SET GroupID = @Group
WHERE (JobID = (SELECT SetA FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetB FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetC FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetD FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetE FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))
OR (JobID = (SELECT SetF FROM #Groups WHERE GroupID=@Group))

SET @Cursor = 1
END

--@Cursor returns to 1, and the while statement continues
--grouping any remaining jobs.

DELETE FROM #Jobs WHERE JobID IS NULL
--just to get the null and zero record out of the report.

SELECT * FROM #Groups
SELECT * FROM #Jobs

--clean up

DROP TABLE #Groups
DROP TABLE #Jobs
DROP TABLE #Divisors


Here's a bin-packing solution to your problem that builds on my
previous post. Note that bin-packing problems are NP-complete so
performance with other than modest-sized input could be problematic.
However, this solution is fully relational and should be useful as it
performs reasonably for small inputs. Note that the solution allows
you to specify bin capacity, that is, it's not assumed to be 12. All
code is repeated here for completeness.

-- 0-9
CREATE VIEW Digits (d)
AS
SELECT 0 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2 UNION ALL
SELECT 3 UNION ALL SELECT 4 UNION ALL SELECT 5 UNION ALL
SELECT 6 UNION ALL SELECT 7 UNION ALL SELECT 8 UNION ALL
SELECT 9

-- Nonnegative integers to some suitable upper bound
CREATE TABLE N
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>=0) PRIMARY KEY
)

INSERT INTO N (i)
SELECT Ones.d + 10*Tens.d + 100*Hundreds.d
FROM Digits AS Ones
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Tens
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Hundreds

-- Table of values with the number of occurrences for each
-- corresponding value
CREATE TABLE V
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>0) PRIMARY KEY, -- value
n INT NOT NULL CHECK (n>0) -- occurrence number
)

-- Sample data
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (7, 1) -- 1 occurrence of 7
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (5, 2) -- 2 occurrences of 5
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (2, 3)
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (1, 4)

-- s : sum
-- vi : ith value
-- ni : number of occurrences of vi
-- rni: remaining occurrences of vi after ni are used
-- Note that the sum is not simply a variable but an attribute,
-- that is, it can be read or restricted, e.g., s < 10
-- s = v1*n1 + ... + vn*nn
CREATE VIEW Addends
(s, v1, n1, v2, n2, v3, n3, v4, n4, v5, n5, rn1, rn2, rn3, rn4, rn5)
AS
SELECT S.i,
V1.i, N1.i,
V2.i, N2.i,
V3.i, N3.i,
V4.i, N4.i,
V5.i, N5.i,
V1.n - N1.i,
V2.n - N2.i,
V3.n - N3.i,
V4.n - N4.i,
V5.n - N5.i
FROM N AS S
INNER JOIN
V AS V1
ON S.i > 0 AND
V1.i <= S.i
INNER JOIN
N AS N1
ON N1.i BETWEEN 1 AND V1.n AND
N1.i <= S.i / V1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V2
ON V2.i < S.i AND
V2.i > V1.i AND
V2.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N2
ON N2.i BETWEEN 1 AND V2.n AND
N2.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i) / V2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V3
ON V3.i < S.i AND
V3.i > V2.i AND
V3.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N3
ON N3.i BETWEEN 1 AND V3.n AND
N3.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i) / V3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V4
ON V4.i < S.i AND
V4.i > V3.i AND
V4.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N4
ON N4.i BETWEEN 1 AND V4.n AND
N4.i <=
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i) / V4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V5
ON V5.i < S.i AND
V5.i > V4.i AND
V5.i <=
S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N5
ON N5.i BETWEEN 1 AND V5.n AND
N5.i =
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i) /
V5.i
WHERE V1.i * N1.i +
COALESCE(V2.i * N2.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V3.i * N3.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V4.i * N4.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V5.i * N5.i, 0) = S.i

-- Helper view that returns addends as strings
-- s : sum
-- vi : ith value
-- svi : ith value as a string
-- ni : number of occurrences of vi
-- sv : all values as a string
-- srn : all remaining occurrences of values as a string
CREATE VIEW AddendsStr
(s, v1, sv1, n1,
v2, sv2, n2,
v3, sv3, n3,
v4, sv4, n4,
v5, sv5, n5,
sv, srn)
AS
SELECT s,
v1, CAST(COALESCE(v1, 0) AS CHAR(10)), COALESCE(n1, 0),
v2, CAST(COALESCE(v2, 0) AS CHAR(10)), COALESCE(n2, 0),
v3, CAST(COALESCE(v3, 0) AS CHAR(10)), COALESCE(n3, 0),
v4, CAST(COALESCE(v4, 0) AS CHAR(10)), COALESCE(n4, 0),
v5, CAST(COALESCE(v5, 0) AS CHAR(10)), COALESCE(n5, 0),
CAST(COALESCE(v1, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(v2, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(v3, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(v4, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(v5, 0) AS CHAR(10)),
CAST(COALESCE(rn1, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(rn2, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(rn3, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(rn4, 0) AS CHAR(10)) +
CAST(COALESCE(rn5, 0) AS CHAR(10))
FROM Addends

-- View that gives all bin-packing solutions (not just fewest bins)
-- Maximum arbitrarily defined as five groups (bins) with each group
-- having a maximum of five values
-- s : sum
-- bin_capacity : capacity of each bin, e.g., capacity of 12 for sum
-- bin_tally : number of occupied bins
-- vij : jth value of ith group
-- nij : number of occurrences of vij
-- Note that bin_capacity is an attribute so it can be restricted
CREATE VIEW BinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT S.total, BC.i,
1 + SIGN(COALESCE(A2.v1, 0)) + SIGN(COALESCE(A3.v1, 0)) +
SIGN(COALESCE(A4.v1, 0)) + SIGN(COALESCE(A5.v1, 0)),

A1.v1, NULLIF(A1.n1, 0),
A1.v2, NULLIF(A1.n2, 0),
A1.v3, NULLIF(A1.n3, 0),
A1.v4, NULLIF(A1.n4, 0),
A1.v5, NULLIF(A1.n5, 0),

A2.v1, NULLIF(A2.n1, 0),
A2.v2, NULLIF(A2.n2, 0),
A2.v3, NULLIF(A2.n3, 0),
A2.v4, NULLIF(A2.n4, 0),
A2.v5, NULLIF(A2.n5, 0),

A3.v1, NULLIF(A3.n1, 0),
A3.v2, NULLIF(A3.n2, 0),
A3.v3, NULLIF(A3.n3, 0),
A3.v4, NULLIF(A3.n4, 0),
A3.v5, NULLIF(A3.n5, 0),

A4.v1, NULLIF(A4.n1, 0),
A4.v2, NULLIF(A4.n2, 0),
A4.v3, NULLIF(A4.n3, 0),
A4.v4, NULLIF(A4.n4, 0),
A4.v5, NULLIF(A4.n5, 0),

A5.v1, NULLIF(A5.n1, 0),
A5.v2, NULLIF(A5.n2, 0),
A5.v3, NULLIF(A5.n3, 0),
A5.v4, NULLIF(A5.n4, 0),
A5.v5, NULLIF(A5.n5, 0)
FROM (SELECT SUM(i*n)
FROM V) AS S(total)
INNER JOIN
N AS BC -- bin capacity
ON BC.i > 0 AND
BC.i <= S.total
INNER JOIN
AddendsStr AS A1
ON A1.s <= BC.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
AddendsStr AS A2
ON A2.s <= A1.s AND
A2.s <= S.total - A1.s AND
A2.n1 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A2.sv1, A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A2.n1) AND
A2.n2 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A2.sv2, A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A2.n2) AND
A2.n3 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A2.sv3, A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A2.n3) AND
A2.n4 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A2.sv4, A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A2.n4) AND
A2.n5 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A2.sv5, A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A2.n5)
LEFT OUTER JOIN
AddendsStr AS A3
ON A3.s <= A2.s AND
A3.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s AND
A3.n1 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A3.sv1,
A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A3.n1) AND
A3.n2 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A3.sv2,
A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A3.n2) AND
A3.n3 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A3.sv3,
A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A3.n3) AND
A3.n4 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A3.sv4,
A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A3.n4) AND
A3.n5 <=
COALESCE(CAST(SUBSTRING(A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A3.sv5,
A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A3.n5)
LEFT OUTER JOIN
AddendsStr AS A4
ON A4.s <= A3.s AND
A4.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s AND
A4.n1 <=
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A4.sv1,
A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A4.n1) AND
A4.n2 <=
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A4.sv2,
A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A4.n2) AND
A4.n3 <=
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A4.sv3,
A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A4.n3) AND
A4.n4 <=
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A4.sv4,
A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A4.n4) AND
A4.n5 <=
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A4.sv5,
A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv, 1), 0),
10) AS INT), A4.n5)
LEFT OUTER JOIN
AddendsStr AS A5
ON A5.s <= A4.s AND
A5.s = S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s - A4.s AND
A5.n1 =
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A4.srn + A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A5.sv1,
A4.sv + A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv,
1), 0),
10) AS INT), A5.n1) AND
A5.n2 =
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A4.srn + A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A5.sv2,
A4.sv + A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv,
1), 0),
10) AS INT), A5.n2) AND
A5.n3 =
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A4.srn + A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A5.sv3,
A4.sv + A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv,
1), 0),
10) AS INT), A5.n3) AND
A5.n4 =
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A4.srn + A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A5.sv4,
A4.sv + A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv,
1), 0),
10) AS INT), A5.n4) AND
A5.n5 =
COALESCE(
CAST(
SUBSTRING(A4.srn + A3.srn + A2.srn + A1.srn,
NULLIF(CHARINDEX(A5.sv5,
A4.sv + A3.sv + A2.sv + A1.sv,
1), 0),
10) AS INT), A5.n5)
WHERE A1.s +
COALESCE(A2.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A3.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A4.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A5.s, 0) = S.total

-- View that returns all bin-packing solutions that use the
-- fewest bins
CREATE VIEW FewestBinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT s, T.bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55
FROM (SELECT bin_capacity, MIN(bin_tally)
FROM BinPackingAddends
GROUP BY bin_capacity) AS T(bin_capacity, fewest)
INNER JOIN
BinPackingAddends AS A
ON A.bin_tally = T.fewest AND
A.bin_capacity = T.bin_capacity

-- Given sample data, query for all addends where the bin
-- capacity is as specified. This returns 3733 rows in under
-- 20 sec on a 3.8 GHz P4 with 2 GB RAM running SQL Server 2005
-- Beta 2.
SELECT *
FROM BinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12

Let's look at one row returned (randomly chosen)
s = 27 -- sum of values in table V
bin_capacity = 12 -- as specified
bin_tally = 4 -- number of bins used by this result
1st bin = {(5,1),(7,1)} -- bins contain tuples of (value, occurrences)
2nd bin = {(5,1)}
3rd bin = {(5,1)}
4th bin = {(1,1), (2,2)}

-- The following query will return only those results from the
-- previous query that require the fewest bins (in this case, the
-- fewest bins needed is 3 and there are 218 results). This
-- executed in just over 30 sec.
SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12

Let's look at one row returned (randomly chosen)
s = 27 -- sum of values in table V
bin_capacity = 12 -- as specified
bin_tally = 3 -- number of bins used by this result
1st bin = {(1,2),(2,1),(7,1)}
2nd bin = {(1,2),(2,2),(5,1)}
3rd bin = {(5,1)}

-- Note that if we wanted optimal solutions for different bin
-- capacities the query is straightforward, e.g.,
SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity BETWEEN 10 AND 12

--
JAG

Jul 23 '05 #25
Sorry for not responding sooner. I did get a grasp on this most recent
code, although it appears to be incomplete. I added the last lines to
the CREATE VIEW statement and got it working, but I don't think it
actually finds the best combination of combinations. I see where it's
going with the extra columns to calculate the remaining occurances of
each value after they have been grouped... am I supposed to figure out
the rest myself?

In any case, I adapted your first code (John G.) to my situation, and I
think it works as good as I'm going to get it. I'd attach an example,
but I gotta leave for work. I'll do it later....
Thanks again all,
Sil

Jul 23 '05 #26
stu_gots wrote:
Sorry for not responding sooner. I did get a grasp on this most recent code, although it appears to be incomplete. I added the last lines to
the CREATE VIEW statement and got it working, but I don't think it
actually finds the best combination of combinations. I see where it's
going with the extra columns to calculate the remaining occurances of
each value after they have been grouped... am I supposed to figure out the rest myself?

In any case, I adapted your first code (John G.) to my situation, and I think it works as good as I'm going to get it. I'd attach an example,
but I gotta leave for work. I'll do it later....
Thanks again all,
Sil


OK, the basic idea behind my last post was right but the implementation
had some real problems. The code below should remedy that. There's a
view Addends that returns sets (rows) of natural numbers where each set
sums to a particular value. Then there's a view BinPackingAddends that
returns sets of bins where the collective sum of each set of bins is a
particular value and where each individual bin's sum is no greater than
another value, e.g., 12. Finally, the view FewestBinPackingAddends
returns all solutions from BinPackingAddends that use the fewest bins.
The code here is complete, runs with the data provided, and appears to
work properly.

As mentioned previously, this is a bin-packing problem, and thus NP-
complete, so performance with other than modest-sized input could be
long-running indeed. However, this solution is purely relational and
performs quite well for small inputs. Note that the solution allows
bin capacity to be specified, that is, it's not hard-coded to be 12.

-- 0-9
CREATE VIEW Digits (d)
AS
SELECT 0 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2 UNION ALL
SELECT 3 UNION ALL SELECT 4 UNION ALL SELECT 5 UNION ALL
SELECT 6 UNION ALL SELECT 7 UNION ALL SELECT 8 UNION ALL
SELECT 9

-- Nonnegative integers to some suitable upper bound
CREATE TABLE N
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>=0) PRIMARY KEY
)

INSERT INTO N (i)
SELECT Ones.d + 10*Tens.d + 100*Hundreds.d
FROM Digits AS Ones
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Tens
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Hundreds

-- Table of values with the number of occurrences for each
-- corresponding value
CREATE TABLE V
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>0) PRIMARY KEY, -- value
n INT NOT NULL CHECK (n>0) -- occurrence number
)

-- Sample data
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (4, 3) -- 3 occurrences of 4
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (7, 3) -- 3 occurrences of 7
-- Sum is 3*4 + 3*7 = 33 so each set of bins must sum to this value,
-- however, individual bins can have an arbitrary capacity, e.g., 12

-- Addends view
-- s : sum, that is, v1*n1 + ... + vn*nn
-- vi : ith value
-- ni : number of occurrences of vi used (ni <= mni)
-- mni : max number of occurrences of vi
CREATE VIEW Addends
(s, v1, n1, mn1, v2, n2, mn2, v3, n3, mn3, v4, n4, mn4, v5, n5, mn5)
AS
SELECT S.i,
V1.i, N1.i, V1.n,
V2.i, N2.i, V2.n,
V3.i, N3.i, V3.n,
V4.i, N4.i, V4.n,
V5.i, N5.i, V5.n
FROM N AS S
INNER JOIN
V AS V1
ON S.i > 0 AND
S.i <= (SELECT SUM(i*n)
FROM V) AND
V1.i <= S.i
INNER JOIN
N AS N1
ON N1.i BETWEEN 1 AND V1.n AND
N1.i <= S.i / V1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V2
ON V2.i < S.i AND
V2.i > V1.i AND
V2.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N2
ON N2.i BETWEEN 1 AND V2.n AND
N2.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i) / V2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V3
ON V3.i < S.i AND
V3.i > V2.i AND
V3.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N3
ON N3.i BETWEEN 1 AND V3.n AND
N3.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i) / V3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V4
ON V4.i < S.i AND
V4.i > V3.i AND
V4.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N4
ON N4.i BETWEEN 1 AND V4.n AND
N4.i <=
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i) / V4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V5
ON V5.i < S.i AND
V5.i > V4.i AND
V5.i <=
S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N5
ON N5.i BETWEEN 1 AND V5.n AND
N5.i =
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i) /
V5.i
WHERE V1.i * N1.i +
COALESCE(V2.i * N2.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V3.i * N3.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V4.i * N4.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V5.i * N5.i, 0) = S.i

-- BinPackingAddends view
-- View that gives all bin-packing solutions
-- Maximum arbitrarily defined as five groups (bins) with each group
-- having a maximum of five value-occurrence pairs
-- s : sum
-- bin_capacity : capacity of each bin
-- bin_tally : number of occupied bins
-- vij : jth value of ith group
-- nij : number of occurrences of vij
-- Note that bin_capacity is an attribute so it can be restricted
CREATE VIEW BinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT S.total, BC.i,
1 + CASE WHEN A2.v1 IS NULL THEN 0
WHEN A3.v1 IS NULL THEN 1
WHEN A4.v1 IS NULL THEN 2
WHEN A5.v1 IS NULL THEN 3
ELSE 4
END,

A1.v1, A1.n1,
A1.v2, A1.n2,
A1.v3, A1.n3,
A1.v4, A1.n4,
A1.v5, A1.n5,

A2.v1, A2.n1,
A2.v2, A2.n2,
A2.v3, A2.n3,
A2.v4, A2.n4,
A2.v5, A2.n5,

A3.v1, A3.n1,
A3.v2, A3.n2,
A3.v3, A3.n3,
A3.v4, A3.n4,
A3.v5, A3.n5,

A4.v1, A4.n1,
A4.v2, A4.n2,
A4.v3, A4.n3,
A4.v4, A4.n4,
A4.v5, A4.n5,

A5.v1, A5.n1,
A5.v2, A5.n2,
A5.v3, A5.n3,
A5.v4, A5.n4,
A5.v5, A5.n5
FROM (SELECT SUM(i*n)
FROM V) AS S(total)
INNER JOIN
N AS BC -- bin capacity
ON BC.i > 0 AND
BC.i <= S.total
INNER JOIN
Addends AS A1
ON A1.s <= BC.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A2
ON A2.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A2.s <= A1.s AND
A2.s <= S.total - A1.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order, e.g., bin {(2,3)} comes before bin {(3,2)} and bin
-- {(1,3)} comes before bin {(1,1),(2,1)}
(A1.s <> A2.s OR
(A1.v1 <= A2.v1 AND
COALESCE(A1.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A2.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n1 AND
(A2.v2 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n2 AND
(A2.v3 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n3 AND
(A2.v4 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n4 AND
(A2.v5 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A3
ON A3.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A3.s <= A2.s AND
A3.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order
(A2.s <> A3.s OR
(A2.v1 <= A3.v1 AND
COALESCE(A2.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A3.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n1 AND
(A3.v2 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n2 AND
(A3.v3 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n3 AND
(A3.v4 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n4 AND
(A3.v5 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A4
ON A4.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A4.s <= A3.s AND
A4.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order
(A3.s <> A4.s OR
(A3.v1 <= A4.v1 AND
COALESCE(A3.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A4.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n1 AND
(A4.v2 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n2 AND
(A4.v3 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n3 AND
(A4.v4 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n4 AND
(A4.v5 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A5
ON A5.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A5.s <= A4.s AND
A5.s = S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s - A4.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use
-- lexicographic order
(A4.s <> A5.s OR
(A4.v1 <= A5.v1 AND
COALESCE(A4.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences total to all available occurrences
-- for corresponding values
A5.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n1 AND
(A5.v2 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n2 AND
(A5.v3 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n3 AND
(A5.v4 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n4 AND
(A5.v5 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n5)))))))))
WHERE A1.s +
COALESCE(A2.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A3.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A4.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A5.s, 0) = S.total

-- FewestBinPackingAddends view
-- View that returns all bin-packing solutions that use the fewest
-- bins
CREATE VIEW FewestBinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT s, T.bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55
FROM (SELECT bin_capacity, MIN(bin_tally)
FROM BinPackingAddends
GROUP BY bin_capacity) AS T(bin_capacity, fewest)
INNER JOIN
BinPackingAddends AS A
ON A.bin_tally = T.fewest AND
A.bin_capacity = T.bin_capacity

-- Given sample data above, find all bin-packing solutions
-- where the bin capacity is as specified.
SELECT *
FROM BinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12
ORDER BY bin_tally

-- The following query will return only those results from the
-- previous query that use the fewest bins.
SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12

--
JAG

Jul 23 '05 #27
"John Gilson" <ja*@acm.org> wrote in message
news:11**********************@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
stu_gots wrote:
Sorry for not responding sooner. I did get a grasp on this most

recent
code, although it appears to be incomplete. I added the last lines to
the CREATE VIEW statement and got it working, but I don't think it
actually finds the best combination of combinations. I see where it's
going with the extra columns to calculate the remaining occurances of
each value after they have been grouped... am I supposed to figure

out
the rest myself?

In any case, I adapted your first code (John G.) to my situation, and

I
think it works as good as I'm going to get it. I'd attach an example,
but I gotta leave for work. I'll do it later....
Thanks again all,
Sil


OK, the basic idea behind my last post was right but the implementation
had some real problems. The code below should remedy that. There's a
view Addends that returns sets (rows) of natural numbers where each set
sums to a particular value. Then there's a view BinPackingAddends that
returns sets of bins where the collective sum of each set of bins is a
particular value and where each individual bin's sum is no greater than
another value, e.g., 12. Finally, the view FewestBinPackingAddends
returns all solutions from BinPackingAddends that use the fewest bins.
The code here is complete, runs with the data provided, and appears to
work properly.

As mentioned previously, this is a bin-packing problem, and thus NP-
complete, so performance with other than modest-sized input could be
long-running indeed. However, this solution is purely relational and
performs quite well for small inputs. Note that the solution allows
bin capacity to be specified, that is, it's not hard-coded to be 12.

-- 0-9
CREATE VIEW Digits (d)
AS
SELECT 0 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2 UNION ALL
SELECT 3 UNION ALL SELECT 4 UNION ALL SELECT 5 UNION ALL
SELECT 6 UNION ALL SELECT 7 UNION ALL SELECT 8 UNION ALL
SELECT 9

-- Nonnegative integers to some suitable upper bound
CREATE TABLE N
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>=0) PRIMARY KEY
)

INSERT INTO N (i)
SELECT Ones.d + 10*Tens.d + 100*Hundreds.d
FROM Digits AS Ones
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Tens
CROSS JOIN
Digits AS Hundreds

-- Table of values with the number of occurrences for each
-- corresponding value
CREATE TABLE V
(
i INT NOT NULL CHECK (i>0) PRIMARY KEY, -- value
n INT NOT NULL CHECK (n>0) -- occurrence number
)

-- Sample data
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (4, 3) -- 3 occurrences of 4
INSERT INTO V (i, n)
VALUES (7, 3) -- 3 occurrences of 7
-- Sum is 3*4 + 3*7 = 33 so each set of bins must sum to this value,
-- however, individual bins can have an arbitrary capacity, e.g., 12

-- Addends view
-- s : sum, that is, v1*n1 + ... + vn*nn
-- vi : ith value
-- ni : number of occurrences of vi used (ni <= mni)
-- mni : max number of occurrences of vi
CREATE VIEW Addends
(s, v1, n1, mn1, v2, n2, mn2, v3, n3, mn3, v4, n4, mn4, v5, n5, mn5)
AS
SELECT S.i,
V1.i, N1.i, V1.n,
V2.i, N2.i, V2.n,
V3.i, N3.i, V3.n,
V4.i, N4.i, V4.n,
V5.i, N5.i, V5.n
FROM N AS S
INNER JOIN
V AS V1
ON S.i > 0 AND
S.i <= (SELECT SUM(i*n)
FROM V) AND
V1.i <= S.i
INNER JOIN
N AS N1
ON N1.i BETWEEN 1 AND V1.n AND
N1.i <= S.i / V1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V2
ON V2.i < S.i AND
V2.i > V1.i AND
V2.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N2
ON N2.i BETWEEN 1 AND V2.n AND
N2.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i) / V2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V3
ON V3.i < S.i AND
V3.i > V2.i AND
V3.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N3
ON N3.i BETWEEN 1 AND V3.n AND
N3.i <= (S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i) / V3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V4
ON V4.i < S.i AND
V4.i > V3.i AND
V4.i <= S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N4
ON N4.i BETWEEN 1 AND V4.n AND
N4.i <=
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i) / V4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
V AS V5
ON V5.i < S.i AND
V5.i > V4.i AND
V5.i <=
S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
N AS N5
ON N5.i BETWEEN 1 AND V5.n AND
N5.i =
(S.i - V1.i * N1.i - V2.i * N2.i - V3.i * N3.i - V4.i * N4.i) /
V5.i
WHERE V1.i * N1.i +
COALESCE(V2.i * N2.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V3.i * N3.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V4.i * N4.i, 0) +
COALESCE(V5.i * N5.i, 0) = S.i

-- BinPackingAddends view
-- View that gives all bin-packing solutions
-- Maximum arbitrarily defined as five groups (bins) with each group
-- having a maximum of five value-occurrence pairs
-- s : sum
-- bin_capacity : capacity of each bin
-- bin_tally : number of occupied bins
-- vij : jth value of ith group
-- nij : number of occurrences of vij
-- Note that bin_capacity is an attribute so it can be restricted
CREATE VIEW BinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT S.total, BC.i,
1 + CASE WHEN A2.v1 IS NULL THEN 0
WHEN A3.v1 IS NULL THEN 1
WHEN A4.v1 IS NULL THEN 2
WHEN A5.v1 IS NULL THEN 3
ELSE 4
END,

A1.v1, A1.n1,
A1.v2, A1.n2,
A1.v3, A1.n3,
A1.v4, A1.n4,
A1.v5, A1.n5,

A2.v1, A2.n1,
A2.v2, A2.n2,
A2.v3, A2.n3,
A2.v4, A2.n4,
A2.v5, A2.n5,

A3.v1, A3.n1,
A3.v2, A3.n2,
A3.v3, A3.n3,
A3.v4, A3.n4,
A3.v5, A3.n5,

A4.v1, A4.n1,
A4.v2, A4.n2,
A4.v3, A4.n3,
A4.v4, A4.n4,
A4.v5, A4.n5,

A5.v1, A5.n1,
A5.v2, A5.n2,
A5.v3, A5.n3,
A5.v4, A5.n4,
A5.v5, A5.n5
FROM (SELECT SUM(i*n)
FROM V) AS S(total)
INNER JOIN
N AS BC -- bin capacity
ON BC.i > 0 AND
BC.i <= S.total
INNER JOIN
Addends AS A1
ON A1.s <= BC.i
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A2
ON A2.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A2.s <= A1.s AND
A2.s <= S.total - A1.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order, e.g., bin {(2,3)} comes before bin {(3,2)} and bin
-- {(1,3)} comes before bin {(1,1),(2,1)}
(A1.s <> A2.s OR
(A1.v1 <= A2.v1 AND
COALESCE(A1.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A1.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A2.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A2.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n1 AND
(A2.v2 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n2 AND
(A2.v3 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n3 AND
(A2.v4 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n4 AND
(A2.v5 IS NULL OR
(A2.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A2.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A2.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A3
ON A3.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A3.s <= A2.s AND
A3.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order
(A2.s <> A3.s OR
(A2.v1 <= A3.v1 AND
COALESCE(A2.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A2.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A3.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A3.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n1 AND
(A3.v2 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n2 AND
(A3.v3 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n3 AND
(A3.v4 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n4 AND
(A3.v5 IS NULL OR
(A3.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A3.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A3.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A3.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A4
ON A4.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A4.s <= A3.s AND
A4.s <= S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use lexicographic
-- order
(A3.s <> A4.s OR
(A3.v1 <= A4.v1 AND
COALESCE(A3.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A3.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A4.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences thus far are within bounds
A4.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v1 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n1 AND
(A4.v2 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v2 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n2 AND
(A4.v3 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v3 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n3 AND
(A4.v4 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v4 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n4 AND
(A4.v5 IS NULL OR
(A4.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A4.v5 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END >= A4.n5)))))))))
LEFT OUTER JOIN
Addends AS A5
ON A5.v1 IS NULL OR
(-- Bins ordered so that their sums are in non-increasing order
A5.s <= A4.s AND
A5.s = S.total - A1.s - A2.s - A3.s - A4.s AND
-- If adjacent bins have the same sum, then use
-- lexicographic order
(A4.s <> A5.s OR
(A4.v1 <= A5.v1 AND
COALESCE(A4.v2, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v2, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v3, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v3, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v4, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v4, 0) AND
COALESCE(A4.v5, 0) <= COALESCE(A5.v5, 0))) AND
-- Check that occurrences total to all available occurrences
-- for corresponding values
A5.mn1 -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v1 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n1 AND
(A5.v2 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn2 -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v2 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n2 AND
(A5.v3 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn3 -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v3 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n3 AND
(A5.v4 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn4 -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v4 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n4 AND
(A5.v5 IS NULL OR
(A5.mn5 -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v1 THEN A1.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v2 THEN A1.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v3 THEN A1.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v4 THEN A1.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A1.v5 THEN A1.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v1 THEN A2.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v2 THEN A2.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v3 THEN A2.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v4 THEN A2.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A2.v5 THEN A2.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v1 THEN A3.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v2 THEN A3.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v3 THEN A3.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v4 THEN A3.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A3.v5 THEN A3.n5
ELSE 0
END -
CASE WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v1 THEN A4.n1
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v2 THEN A4.n2
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v3 THEN A4.n3
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v4 THEN A4.n4
WHEN A5.v5 = A4.v5 THEN A4.n5
ELSE 0
END = A5.n5)))))))))
WHERE A1.s +
COALESCE(A2.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A3.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A4.s, 0) +
COALESCE(A5.s, 0) = S.total

-- FewestBinPackingAddends view
-- View that returns all bin-packing solutions that use the fewest
-- bins
CREATE VIEW FewestBinPackingAddends
(s, bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55)
AS
SELECT s, T.bin_capacity, bin_tally,
v11, n11, v12, n12, v13, n13, v14, n14, v15, n15,
v21, n21, v22, n22, v23, n23, v24, n24, v25, n25,
v31, n31, v32, n32, v33, n33, v34, n34, v35, n35,
v41, n41, v42, n42, v43, n43, v44, n44, v45, n45,
v51, n51, v52, n52, v53, n53, v54, n54, v55, n55
FROM (SELECT bin_capacity, MIN(bin_tally)
FROM BinPackingAddends
GROUP BY bin_capacity) AS T(bin_capacity, fewest)
INNER JOIN
BinPackingAddends AS A
ON A.bin_tally = T.fewest AND
A.bin_capacity = T.bin_capacity

-- Given sample data above, find all bin-packing solutions
-- where the bin capacity is as specified.
SELECT *
FROM BinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12
ORDER BY bin_tally

-- The following query will return only those results from the
-- previous query that use the fewest bins.
SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12

--
JAG


It should be self-explanatory, but in case it's not, let me describe
the meaning of what's returned by these queries. Given the
sample data, the query

SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12

returns

s = 33 -- sum of values in table V
bin_capacity = 12 -- as specified in the query
bin_tally = 3 -- number of bins used by this result
1st bin = {(4,1),(7,1)} -- bins contain tuples of (value, occurrences)
2nd bin = {(4,1),(7,1)}
3rd bin = {(4,1),(7,1)}

Coincidentally, the three bins have the same values. Let's look at
the same query but with a bin_capacity of 18, that is,

SELECT *
FROM FewestBinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 18

s = 33
bin_capacity = 18
bin_tally = 2
1st bin = {(4,1),(7,2)}
2nd bin = {(4,2),(7,1)}

If we want to look at all bin-packing solutions, not just ones using
the fewest bins, we query

SELECT *
FROM BinPackingAddends
WHERE bin_capacity = 12
ORDER BY bin_tally

and we see, for the given input, that there are 6 solutions, each
in the format just described, using from 3 to 5 bins (the code
accommodates a maximum of 5 bins but, of course, that can
be extended).

--
JAG
Jul 23 '05 #28
I had to take a break for a while. I'm not practicing proper
ergonomics.

After reviewing my results, it seems I'm better off with a version of
your first code, John. The latter is definitely the best, but
impractical as you may have guessed. I use your first code to do most
of my heavy grouping when I just want to ensure as few leftovers as
possible, and to tell me when there are no groups of 12 in a particular
variety. I sure can't figure out a way to stump it out of the best
results. Sorting out the leftovers is still handled with something
similar to the code O posted Feb. 12 on this thread... thanks again to
everyone who contributed in some fashion. Much appreciated, I hope by
others as well.

And by the way, you never posted any incomplete code... I just didn't
notice the "read more >>" link. I thought "..." was your way of saying
yada, yada, yada. Dat's how new I am to deze types of tings.

Sil

Jul 23 '05 #29

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