Finding all possible combinations of numbers to reach a given sum

Question

How would you go about testing all possible combinations of additions from a given set N of numbers so they add up to a given final number?

A brief exam

Answer 1

Java non-recursive version that simply keeps adding elements and redistributing them amongst possible values. 0's are ignored and works for fixed lists (what you're given is what you can play with) or a list of repeatable numbers.

import java.util.*;

public class TestCombinations {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        ArrayList numbers = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(0, 1, 2, 2, 5, 10, 20));
        LinkedHashSet targets = new LinkedHashSet() {{
            add(4);
            add(10);
            add(25);
        }};

        System.out.println("## each element can appear as many times as needed");
        for (Integer target: targets) {
            Combinations combinations = new Combinations(numbers, target, true);
            combinations.calculateCombinations();
            for (String solution: combinations.getCombinations()) {
                System.out.println(solution);
            }
        }

        System.out.println("## each element can appear only once");
        for (Integer target: targets) {
            Combinations combinations = new Combinations(numbers, target, false);
            combinations.calculateCombinations();
            for (String solution: combinations.getCombinations()) {
                System.out.println(solution);
            }
        }
    }

    public static class Combinations {
        private boolean allowRepetitions;
        private int[] repetitions;
        private ArrayList numbers;
        private Integer target;
        private Integer sum;
        private boolean hasNext;
        private Set combinations;

        /**
         * Constructor.
         *
         * @param numbers Numbers that can be used to calculate the sum.
         * @param target  Target value for sum.
         */
        public Combinations(ArrayList numbers, Integer target) {
            this(numbers, target, true);
        }

        /**
         * Constructor.
         *
         * @param numbers Numbers that can be used to calculate the sum.
         * @param target  Target value for sum.
         */
        public Combinations(ArrayList numbers, Integer target, boolean allowRepetitions) {
            this.allowRepetitions = allowRepetitions;
            if (this.allowRepetitions) {
                Set numbersSet = new HashSet<>(numbers);
                this.numbers = new ArrayList<>(numbersSet);
            } else {
                this.numbers = numbers;
            }
            this.numbers.removeAll(Arrays.asList(0));
            Collections.sort(this.numbers);

            this.target = target;
            this.repetitions = new int[this.numbers.size()];
            this.combinations = new LinkedHashSet<>();

            this.sum = 0;
            if (this.repetitions.length > 0)
                this.hasNext = true;
            else
                this.hasNext = false;
        }

        /**
         * Calculate and return the sum of the current combination.
         *
         * @return The sum.
         */
        private Integer calculateSum() {
            this.sum = 0;
            for (int i = 0; i < repetitions.length; ++i) {
                this.sum += repetitions[i] * numbers.get(i);
            }
            return this.sum;
        }

        /**
         * Redistribute picks when only one of each number is allowed in the sum.
         */
        private void redistribute() {
            for (int i = 1; i < this.repetitions.length; ++i) {
                if (this.repetitions[i - 1] > 1) {
                    this.repetitions[i - 1] = 0;
                    this.repetitions[i] += 1;
                }
            }
            if (this.repetitions[this.repetitions.length - 1] > 1)
                this.repetitions[this.repetitions.length - 1] = 0;
        }

        /**
         * Get the sum of the next combination. When 0 is returned, there's no other combinations to check.
         *
         * @return The sum.
         */
        private Integer next() {
            if (this.hasNext && this.repetitions.length > 0) {
                this.repetitions[0] += 1;
                if (!this.allowRepetitions)
                    this.redistribute();
                this.calculateSum();

                for (int i = 0; i < this.repetitions.length && this.sum != 0; ++i) {
                    if (this.sum > this.target) {
                        this.repetitions[i] = 0;
                        if (i + 1 < this.repetitions.length) {
                            this.repetitions[i + 1] += 1;
                            if (!this.allowRepetitions)
                                this.redistribute();
                        }
                        this.calculateSum();
                    }
                }

                if (this.sum.compareTo(0) == 0)
                    this.hasNext = false;
            }
            return this.sum;
        }

        /**
         * Calculate all combinations whose sum equals target.
         */
        public void calculateCombinations() {
            while (this.hasNext) {
                if (this.next().compareTo(target) == 0)
                    this.combinations.add(this.toString());
            }
        }

        /**
         * Return all combinations whose sum equals target.
         *
         * @return Combinations as a set of strings.
         */
        public Set getCombinations() {
            return this.combinations;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            StringBuilder stringBuilder = new StringBuilder("" + sum + ": ");
            for (int i = 0; i < repetitions.length; ++i) {
                for (int j = 0; j < repetitions[i]; ++j) {
                    stringBuilder.append(numbers.get(i) + " ");
                }
            }
            return stringBuilder.toString();
        }
    }
}

Sample input:

numbers: 0, 1, 2, 2, 5, 10, 20
targets: 4, 10, 25

Sample output:

## each element can appear as many times as needed
4: 1 1 1 1 
4: 1 1 2 
4: 2 2 
10: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
10: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 
10: 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
10: 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 
10: 1 1 2 2 2 2 
10: 2 2 2 2 2 
10: 1 1 1 1 1 5 
10: 1 1 1 2 5 
10: 1 2 2 5 
10: 5 5 
10: 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 
25: 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 2 5 5 5 5 
25: 1 2 2 5 5 5 5 
25: 5 5 5 5 5 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 
25: 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 10 
25: 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 10 
25: 2 2 2 2 2 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 2 5 5 10 
25: 1 2 2 5 5 10 
25: 5 5 5 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 10 10 
25: 1 1 1 2 10 10 
25: 1 2 2 10 10 
25: 5 10 10 
25: 1 1 1 1 1 20 
25: 1 1 1 2 20 
25: 1 2 2 20 
25: 5 20 
## each element can appear only once
4: 2 2 
10: 1 2 2 5 
10: 10 
25: 1 2 2 20 
25: 5 20