Question

I tried to solve problems from Project Euler. I know my method would work logically (it returns answers to the small scale problem almost instantly). However, it scales horribly. I already attempted changing the .ini file, but to no avail.

Here’s my code:

public class Number28 {

    static int SIZE = 101; //this should be an odd number, i accidentally posted 100
    /**
     * @param args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        double start = System.currentTimeMillis();
        long spiral[][]= spiral(SIZE);
        long sum = 0;
        for(int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
        {
            sum += spiral[i][i];
            sum += spiral[i][SIZE - 1 - i];
        }
        System.out.println(sum - 1);
        double time = System.currentTimeMillis() - start;
        System.out.println(time);

    }
    public static long[][] spiral(int size){
        long spiral[][]= new long[size][size];
        if(size == 1){
            spiral[0][0] = 1;
            return spiral;
        }
        else{
            long subspiral[][]= new long[size - 2][size - 2];
            subspiral = spiral(size - 2);
            for(int r = 0; r < size - 2; r++){
                for(int c = 0; c < size - 2; c++){
                    spiral[r + 1][c + 1] = subspiral[r][c];
                }
            }
            long counter = subspiral[0][size - 3];
            for(int r = 1; r < size ; r++){
                counter++;
                spiral[r][size - 1] = counter;
            }
            for(int c = size - 2; c >= 0; c--){
                counter++;
                spiral[size - 1][c] = counter;
            }
            for(int r = size - 2 ; r >= 0 ; r--){
                counter++;
                spiral[r][0] = counter;
            }
            for(int c = 1; c < size ; c++){
                counter++;
                spiral[0][c] = counter;
            }

            return spiral;
        }
    }
}

Here’s the edited code, worked like a gem:

public class Number28 {
    static int SIZE = 1001;
    static long spiral[][]= new long[SIZE][SIZE];

    /**
     * @param args
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        double start = System.currentTimeMillis();
        long spiral[][]= spiral(SIZE);
        long sum = 0;
        for(int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
        {
            sum += spiral[i][i];
            sum += spiral[i][SIZE - 1 - i];
        }
        System.out.println(sum - 1);
        double time = System.currentTimeMillis() - start;
        System.out.println(time);

    }
    public static long[][] spiral(int size){
        if(size == 1){
            spiral[SIZE / 2][SIZE / 2] = 1;
            return spiral;
        }
        else{
            long subspiral[][]= spiral(size - 2);
            int edge = (SIZE - size) / 2;
            long counter = subspiral[edge + 1][edge + size - 2];

              for(int r = 1; r < size ; r++){
                  counter++;
                  spiral[edge + r][edge + size - 1] = counter;
          }
          for(int c = size - 2; c >= 0; c--){
                  counter++;
                  spiral[edge + size - 1][edge + c] = counter;
          }
          for(int r = size - 2 ; r >= 0 ; r--){
                  counter++;
                  spiral[edge + r][edge] = counter;
          }
          for(int c = 1; c < size ; c++){
                  counter++;
                  spiral[edge][edge + c] = counter;
          }
            return spiral;
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Not familiar with the Euler problems, but the horror appears to be your continual allocation and re-allocation of what are basically throwaway intermediate spirals, as you call down recursively to the base case.

Restructure so that you allocate your full spiral up front. Then call your recursive function, passing your full spiral in as a parameter by reference, along with a “level” parameter, which will change with each recursive call. E.g., initial call is with 100×100 spiral and level 100; next (recursive) call is with same spiral, by reference, and level 98. Operations within the function will all be done on the one-and-only-allocated spiral.

In a nutshell: allocate your data structure once, even if you operate on that data structure recursively.