Look, Ma, these are my baby steps in algorithms!
# list is the elements to be permuted
# y is the number of results desired
# z is the number of elements per result
# equalizer keeps track of who got used how many times
def constrained_permutations list, y, z
list.uniq! # Never trust the user. We want no repetitions.
equalizer = {}
list.each { |element| equalizer[element] = 0 }
results = []
# Do this until we get as many results as desired
while results.size < y
pool = []
puts pool
least_used = equalizer.each_value.min
# Find how used the least used element was
while pool.size < z
# Do this until we have enough elements in this resultset
element = nil
while element.nil?
# If we run out of "least used elements", then we need to increment
# our definition of "least used" by 1 and keep going.
element = list.shuffle.find do |x|
!pool.include?(x) && equalizer[x] == least_used
end
least_used += 1 if element.nil?
end
equalizer[element] += 1
# This element has now been used one more time.
pool << element
end
results << pool
end
return results
end
constrained_permutations [0,1,2,3,4,5,6], 6, 2
=> [[4, 0], [1, 3], [2, 5], [6, 0], [2, 5], [3, 6]]
constrained_permutations [0,1,2,3,4,5,6], 6, 2
=> [[4, 5], [6, 3], [0, 2], [1, 6], [5, 4], [3, 0]]
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