How to transpose a matrix in prolog

Question

How can I transpose a list like [[1,2,3][4,5,6][6,7,8]] to [[1,4,6],[2,7,8],[3,6,9]]?

To depict it: I\'d like to flip the matrix 90 degree

Answer 1

Not sure your example is correct, but I get the idea.

If using SWI-PROLOG, you can use the CLPFD module, like so:

:- use_module(library(clpfd)).

Allowing you to use the transpose/2 predicate, like this:

1 ?- transpose([[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[6,7,8]], X).
X = [[1, 4, 6], [2, 5, 7], [3, 6, 8]].

Otherwise (if no SWI-PROLOG), you could simply use this implementation (which happened to be an old one in SWI's clpfd):

transpose([], []).
transpose([F|Fs], Ts) :-
    transpose(F, [F|Fs], Ts).

transpose([], _, []).
transpose([_|Rs], Ms, [Ts|Tss]) :-
        lists_firsts_rests(Ms, Ts, Ms1),
        transpose(Rs, Ms1, Tss).

lists_firsts_rests([], [], []).
lists_firsts_rests([[F|Os]|Rest], [F|Fs], [Os|Oss]) :-
        lists_firsts_rests(Rest, Fs, Oss).

For an updated version which uses foldl and maplist built-ins, see clpfd.pl.

Answer 2

simpler approach:

trans(M, [P|T]):- first(M, P, A), trans(A, T).
trans(Empty, []):- empty(Empty).

empty([[]|T]):- empty(T).
empty([[]]).

first([[P|A]|R], [P|Ps], [A|As]):- first(R, Ps, As).
first([], [], []).

efficient also

[debug] 36 ?- time(trans([[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]],A)).
% 21 inferences, 0.000 CPU in 0.000 seconds (?% CPU, Infinite Lips)
A = [[1,4,7],[2,5,8],[3,6,9]] ;
% 12 inferences, 0.000 CPU in 0.000 seconds (?% CPU, Infinite Lips)
false.