Algorithm to find the narrowest intervals, m of which will cover a set of numbers

Question

Let's say you have a list of n numbers. You are allowed to choose m integers (lets call the integer a). For each integer a, delete every number that is within the inclusive range [a - x, a + x], where x is a number. What is the minimum value of x that can get the list cleared?

For example, if your list of numbers was

1 3 8 10 18 20 25

and m = 2, the answer would be x = 5.

You could pick the two integers 5 and 20. This would clear the list because it deletes every number in between [5-5, 5+5] and [20-5, 20+5].

How would I solve this? I think the solution may be related to dynamic programming. I do not want a brute force method solution.

Code would be really helpful, preferably in Java or C++ or C.

Answer 1

Hints

Suppose you had the list

1 3 8 10 18 20 25

and wanted to find how many groups would be needed to cover the set if x was equal to 2.

You could solve this in a greedy way by choosing the first integer to be 1+x (1 is the smallest number in the list). This would cover all elements up to 1+x+x=5. Then simply repeat this process until all numbers are covered.

So in this case, the next uncovered number is 8, so we would choose 8+x=10 and cover all numbers up to 10+x=12 in the second group.

Similarly, the third group would cover [18,24] and the fourth group would cover [25,29].

This value of x needed 4 groups. This is too many, so we need to increase x and try again.

You can use bisection to identify the smallest value of x that does cover all the numbers in m groups.

Answer 2

A recursive solution:

First, you need an estimation, you can split in m groups, then estimated(x) must be ~ (greather - lower element) / 2*m. the estimated(x) could be a solution. If there is a better solution, It has lower x than extimated(x) in all groups! and You can check it with the first group and then repeat recursively. The problem is decreasing until you have only a group: the last one, You know if your new solution is better or not, If there'is better, you can use it to discard another worse solution.

private static int estimate(int[] n, int m, int begin, int end) {
    return (((n[end - 1] - n[begin]) / m) + 1 )/2;
}

private static int calculate(int[] n, int m, int begin, int end, int estimatedX){
    if (m == 1){
        return estimate(n, 1, begin, end);
    } else {
        int bestX = estimatedX;
        for (int i = begin + 1; i <= end + 1 - m; i++) {
            // It split the problem:
            int firstGroupX = estimate(n, 1, begin, i);
            if (firstGroupX < bestX){
                bestX = Math.min(bestX, Math.max(firstGroupX, calculate(n, m-1, i, end, bestX)));
            } else {
                i = end;
            }
        }
        return bestX;
    }
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
    int[] n = {1, 3, 8, 10, 18, 20, 25};
    int m = 2;
    Arrays.sort(n);
    System.out.println(calculate(n, m, 0, n.length, estimate(n, m, 0, n.length)));
}

EDIT:

Long numbers version: Main idea, It search for "islands" of distances and split the problem into different islands. like divide and conquer, It distribute 'm' into islands.

private static long estimate(long[] n, long m, int begin, int end) {
    return (((n[end - 1] - n[begin]) / m) + 1) / 2;
}

private static long calculate(long[] n, long m, int begin, int end, long estimatedX) {
    if (m == 1) {
        return estimate(n, 1, begin, end);
    } else {
        long bestX = estimatedX;
        for (int i = begin + 1; i <= end + 1 - m; i++) {
            long firstGroupX = estimate(n, 1, begin, i);
            if (firstGroupX < bestX) {
                bestX = Math.min(bestX, Math.max(firstGroupX, calculate(n, m - 1, i, end, bestX)));
            } else {
                i = end;
            }
        }
        return bestX;
    }
}

private static long solver(long[] n, long m,  int begin, int end) {
    long estimate = estimate(n, m, begin, end);
    PriorityQueue<long[]> islands = new PriorityQueue<>((p0, p1) -> Long.compare(p1[0], p0[0]));
    int islandBegin = begin;
    for (int i = islandBegin; i < end -1; i++) {
        if (n[i + 1] - n[i] > estimate) {
            long estimatedIsland = estimate(n, 1, islandBegin, i+1);
            islands.add(new long[]{estimatedIsland, islandBegin, i, 1});
            islandBegin = i+1;
        }
    }
    long estimatedIsland = estimate(n, 1, islandBegin, end);
    islands.add(new long[]{estimatedIsland, islandBegin, end, 1});
    long result;
    if (islands.isEmpty() || m < islands.size()) {
        result = calculate(n, m, begin, end, estimate);
    } else {    
        long mFree = m - islands.size();
        while (mFree > 0) {
            long[] island = islands.poll();
            island[3]++;
            island[0] = solver(n, island[3], (int) island[1], (int) island[2]);
            islands.add(island);
            mFree--;
        }
        result = islands.poll()[0];
    }
    return result;
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
    long[] n = new long[63];
    for (int i = 1; i < n.length; i++) {
        n[i] = 2*n[i-1]+1;
    }
    long m = 32;
    Arrays.sort(n);
    System.out.println(solver(n, m, 0, n.length));
}