dos_compilers/Microsoft muLISP-86 v51/MULISP5.LES

File:  MULISP5.LES  (c)		12/27/85	Soft Warehouse, Inc.

CLRSCRN
This is muLISP programming lesson #5.  This lesson introduces the primitive
muLISP numerical functions and presents several techniques useful for writing
efficient mathematical functions.

muLISP provides the user with both infinite precision integer arithmetic and
adjustable precision rational arithmetic.  This means that the only limit on
the size of integers is available computer memory.  Integers consisting of
thousands of digits are possible.  This makes muLISP useful for investigations
in the fields of number theory and cryptography.

By default the precision muLISP uses for rational arithmetic provides about
7 digits of accuracy.  This approximates the accuracy of single precision
floating point arithmetic.  The description of the function PRECISION in
Chapter 5 of the muLISP Reference Manual provides details on how to increase
the precision used for rational arithmetic.


CONTINUE
We begin by discussing the primitive numerical functions muLISP provides.
The functions +, -, *, and / denote addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division respectively.  In most conventional programming languages, you
enter numerical expressions using infix notation (i.e. operators appear
between their operands).  For example:

			3*4 + 5

Since LISP is a functional programming language, functional notation is more
natural and consistent for numerical expressions.  For example, the above
expression is entered as:

$ (+ (* 3 4) 5)

During this break, familiarize yourself with these four numerical functions.
When ready to return to the lesson, type (RETURN) and press the <RETURN> key.

BREAK
CLRSCRN
One advantage of functional notation over operator notation is that you are
not limited to two operands for each operation.  The functions +, *, -,
and / can accept a variable number of arguments.  For example:

$ (+ 45 -23 57)

$ (* 1 2 3 4 5)

During this break using test cases, empirically determine what the functions
- and / do when called with more than two arguments.

BREAK
CLRSCRN
If a numerical function is inadvertently called with nonnumeric arguments, the
"Nonnumeric Argument" error message will be displayed on the console followed
by the errant function call and the option prompt

	Abort, Break, Continue, Top-level, Restart, System?

You then must select one of the five options by entering its first letter.
The description of the function BREAK in Chapter 5 of the muLISP Reference
Manual describes the options in detail.  The next screen summarizes the
options available.

CONTINUE
Summary of the error break options:

Abort:  aborts execution, returns control directly to the current level
    of the read-eval-print loop, and prompts the user for further input.

Break:  temporarily suspends execution and prompts the user for input.  The
    errant function can be determined by examining the value of the variable
    BREAK.  To return from the break, type (RETURN expn) where <expn> is the
    value you want to be returned as the value of the errant function call.

Continue:  continues execution with the errant function call used as the value
    returned.

Top-level:  aborts execution, returns control to the top-level read-eval-
    print loop, and prompts the user for further input.

Restart:  abandons the current muLISP environment and starts up a fresh muLISP
    system.

System:  terminates muLISP and returns to the host operating system.


CONTINUE
Enough of errors, let's return to mathematics!  The factorial of a number is
of great importance in probability theory.  The factorial of a nonnegative
integer N, denoted N!, can be recursively defined as follows:

		0! = 1,
		N! = N*(N-1)! if N > 0

The equivalent muLISP definition of FACTORIAL is:

$ (DEFUN FACTORIAL (N)
    ((EQL N 0) 1)
    (* N (FACTORIAL (- N 1))) )

$ (FACTORIAL 5)

This is an efficient definition; however, if N is large there is the
possibility of a memory space exhausted error because of a stack-overflow.
During this break, write and test an iterative version of FACTORIAL.  Hint:
you will need an accumulation variable for the result.

BREAK
An iterative definition for FACTORIAL and an example:

$ (DEFUN FACTORIAL (N
      % Local: % RSLT)
    (SETQ RSLT 1)
    (LOOP
      ((ZEROP N) RSLT)
      (SETQ RSLT (* N RSLT))
      (SETQ N (- N 1)) ) )

$ (FACTORIAL 100)

As the example illustrates, muLISP can handle very large numbers.  In the
definition we introduced the primitive recognizer function ZEROP.  (ZEROP N)
is equivalent to (EQL N 0) but is slightly more efficient.

CONTINUE
A series that keeps turning up in nature in the strangest places is the
Fibonacci Series.  The Nth Fibonacci number, denoted F(N), can be recursively
defined as follows:

		F(0) = 1,
		F(1) = 1,
		F(N) = F(N-1) + F(N-2)  if  N > 1.

The equivalent muLISP definition of FIBONACCI is:

$ (DEFUN FIBONACCI (N)
    ((ZEROP N) 1)
    ((EQL N 1) 1)
    (+ (FIBONACCI (- N 1)) (FIBONACCI (- N 2))) )

$ (FIBONACCI 10)

During this break, gain a feel for the efficiency of the above algorithm by
calling FIBONACCI with progressively larger arguments.

BREAK
CLRSCRN
As you test cases should have demonstrated, this is an extremely inefficient
algorithm.  The problem is that to compute the Nth Fibonacci number, the
(N-2)th Fibonacci number is unnecessarily computed twice, the (N-3)th three
times, the (N-4)th five times, and it keeps gets getting worse.

Since this is a recursive algorithm, most people jump to the conclusion that
recursion is the problem, and set about writing a messy iterative definition
to achieve efficiency.  But the problem is not recursion but the algorithm.

Rather than computing the Nth Fibonacci number by working backward toward
zero, the efficient way is to start at zero and work up to the Nth Fibonacci
number using two variables to store the two most recently computed Fibonacci
numbers.

During this break, use this approach to define an efficient, yet recursive,
definition for Fibonacci numbers calling it FIB.  Compare the efficiency of
FIB with FIBONACCI.

BREAK
An efficient, recursive definition for Fibonacci numbers:

$ (DEFUN FIB (N F1 F2)
    ((ZEROP N) F1)
    (FIB (- N 1) (+ F1 F2) F1) )

$ (FIB 10 1 0)

$ (FIBONACCI 10)

FIB is a function of 3 arguments.  The first argument is N, the second must be
1, and the third 0.  If you insist on a single argument Fibonacci function,
you can define a "front-end" function that merely calls FIB with the
appropriate second and third arguments.

For those of you still not convinced of the elegance and efficiency of
recursion, write an iterative definition for Fibonacci numbers and compare it
to the above definition.  If you are a believer, you can simply continue on.

CONTINUE
Raising an expression to an integer power is certainly an important
mathematical operation.  To raise N to Mth power all you have to do is
multiply N times itself M times.

During this break, write an iterative definition of POWER as a function of two
arguments.

BREAK
A iterative definition of POWER:

$ (DEFUN POWER (N M
      % Local: % RSLT )
    (SETQ RSLT 1)
    (LOOP
      ((ZEROP M) RSLT)
      (SETQ RSLT (* N RSLT))
      (SETQ M (SUB1 M)) ) )

$ (POWER 2 10)

The call to the primitive function SUB1 in the above definition is equivalent
to, but slightly more efficient, than the call (- N 1) would be.  ADD1 is also
a primitively defined muLISP function.

There is an even more efficient way of computing powers of numbers than this
iterative technique.  On to the next screen!


CONTINUE
Consider the following facts:

1.  If M is an even number, then N to Mth power is equal to N squared raised
    to the M/2th power.

2.  If M is odd, then N to Mth power is N times N raised to the (M-1)th power.

To implement this algorithm you will need the primitive recognizer function
EVENP.  It returns T if and only if its argument is an even integer; otherwise
it returns NIL.

During this break, define POWER using the recursive squaring approach
described above.

BREAK
An efficient, recursive definition of POWER:

$ (DEFUN POWER (N M)
    ((ZEROP M) 1)
    ((EVENP M)
      (POWER (* N N) (/ M 2)) )
    (* N (POWER N (SUB1 M))) )

$ (POWER 10 100)

CONTINUE
The primitive function TRUNCATE is useful for converting ratios and quotients
to integers.  If <n> is a number, (TRUNCATE n) truncates <n> to the nearest
integer in the direction of zero:

$ (TRUNCATE 7/3)

$ (TRUNCATE -0.95)


If called with two arguments, TRUNCATE returns their truncated integer
quotient.  Note that (TRUNCATE n m) is equivalent to (TRUNCATE (/ n m)):

$ (TRUNCATE 7 3)

$ (TRUNCATE -46.3 5.2)


CONTINUE
TRUNCATE returns the truncated integer quotient of its two arguments.  The
primitive function REM returns the corresponding remainder of its two
arguments.  TRUNCATE and REM are defined so they observe the law between
quotients and remainders:  If (TRUNCATE n m) returns the integer q and
(REM n m) returns the number r, then

			n = q*m + r

Often it is useful to obtain both the quotient and remainder at the cost
of only one division.  The primitive function DIVIDE returns cons of the
quotient and remainder of its two arguments.

$ (TRUNCATE 7 3)

$ (REM 7 3)

$ (DIVIDE 7 3)


CONTINUE
The Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of two integers is the largest nonnegative
integer number that evenly divides both integers.  Euclid's algorithm for the
GCD of the integers N and M can be paraphrased as:

1.  If N = 0, then GCD (N, M) = M;

2.  Otherwise, GCD (N, M) = GCD (M mod N, N).

During this break, define the function GCD using Euclid's algorithm and try it
out on some examples.  Use the function REM to obtain M mod N.

BREAK
Recursive definition of GCD using Euclid's algorithm:

$ (DEFUN GCD (N M)
    ((ZEROP N) M)
    (GCD (REM M N) N) )

$ (GCD 21 56)

Actually the functions GCD and LCM (Least Common Multiple) are primitively
defined in muLISP.  Naturally the primitive versions are faster and can accept
an arbitrary number of arguments.


CONTINUE
Finally we need to mention the primitive numerical comparator functions:  =,
/=, <, >, <=, and >=.  For example:

$ (= 34 34.0)				;Equal test

$ (/= 3/4 0.75)				;Not equal test

$ (< 67 45)				;Less than test

$ (>= 19 17 17)				;Greater than or equal test

As the last example shows, the numerical comparator functions can be called
with more than two arguments.  If called with nonnumeric arguments, these
functions will cause a "Nonnumeric Argument" error break.


CONTINUE
To determine if a number lies within a given interval, the function < can be
called with 3 arguments.  For example, to determine if "g" is a lower case
letter enter:

$ (< 96 (ASCII 'g) 123)

The function ASCII returns the ASCII code if given a character name.  It
returns the equivalent ASCII character if given a number between 0 and 256.

During this break, write the recognizer function LOWERCASE that determines if
a character is a lower case character.

BREAK
The LOWERCASE recognizer function:

$ (DEFUN LOWERCASE (CHAR)
    (< 96 (ASCII CHAR) 123) )

$ (LOWERCASE 'g)

CONTINUE
Let's finish off this lesson by writing a function for sorting a list of
numbers into increasing order.  We are not too concerned with efficiency so
let's use a simple "insertion sort" algorithm that is adequate for short
lists.

First we need a function that inserts an number in the proper place in a
sorted list of numbers.  During this break, write INSERT-NUM, a function that
inserts NUM into LST.  Use iteration or recursion depending on your taste.

BREAK
A recursively defined INSERT-NUM function:

$ (DEFUN INSERT-NUM (NUM LST)
    ((NULL LST)
      (LIST NUM) )
    ((< NUM (CAR LST))
      (CONS NUM LST) )
    (CONS (CAR LST) (INSERT-NUM NUM (CDR LST))) )

$ (INSERT-NUM 12 '(5 9 11 14 19 21))

During this break, use INSERT-NUM to write the function NUMBER-SORT that sorts
a list of numbers.

BREAK
A recursive defined NUMBER-SORT function:

$ (DEFUN NUMBER-SORT (LST)
    ((NULL LST) NIL)
    (INSERT-NUM (CAR LST) (NUMBER-SORT (CDR LST))) )

$ (NUMBER-SORT '(34 23 -14 27 56 22 83))


The built-in function SORT uses an efficient list merge sort.  If <test> is
a comparator function, (SORT list test) sorts and returns <list> based on
<test>.  For example:

$ (SORT '(34 23 -14 27 56 22 83) '<)


This concludes our discussion of numerical programming techniques using
muLISP.  Congratulations on successfully completing lesson #5.

CONTINUE
$ (RDS)