Hmm, I can think of two possible algorithms: A linear scan through the A sequence, or building a dictionary with constant-time lookup of the indices.
If you are testing many potential subsequences B against a single larger sequence A, I'd suggest you use the variant with the dictionary.
Linear Scan
Description
We maintain a cursor for the sequence A. Then we iterate through all items in the subsequence B. For each item, we move the cursor forward in A until we have found a matching item. If no matching item was found, then B isn't a subsequence.
This always runs in O(seq.size).
Pseudocode
Imperative style:
def subsequence? seq, subseq:
i = 0
for item in subseq:
i++ while i < seq.size and item != seq[i]
return false if i == seq.size
return true
Functional style:
let rec subsequence? = function
| _ [] -> true
| [] _ -> false
| cursor::seq item::subseq ->
if cursor = item
then subsequence? seq subseq
else subsequence? seq item::subseq
Example implementation (Perl):
use strict; use warnings; use signatures; use Test::More;
sub is_subsequence_i ($seq, $subseq) {
my $i = 0;
for my $item (@$subseq) {
$i++ while $i < @$seq and $item != $seq->[$i];
return 0 if $i == @$seq;
}
return 1;
}
sub is_subsequence_f ($seq, $subseq) {
return 1 if @$subseq == 0;
return 0 if @$seq == 0;
my ($cursor, @seq) = @$seq;
my ($item, @subseq) = @$subseq;
return is_subsequence_f(\@seq, $cursor == $item ? \@subseq : $subseq);
}
my $A = [1, 2, 3, 4];
my $B = [1, 3];
my $C = [1, 3, 4];
my $D = [3, 1];
my $E = [1, 2, 5];
for my $is_subsequence (\&is_subsequence_i, \&is_subsequence_f) {
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $B), 'B in A';
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $C), 'C in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $D), 'D not in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $E), 'E not in A';
ok $is_subsequence->([1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 5, 6], [2, 3, 6]), 'multiple nums';
}
done_testing;
Dictionary lookup
Description
We map the items of the sequence A to their indices. Then we look up suitable indices for each item in B, skip those indices that are to small, and pick the smallest possible index as a lower limit. When no indices are found, then B isn't a subsequence.
Runs in something like O(subseq.size · k), where k describes how many duplicate numbers there are in seq. Plus an O(seq.size) overhead
The advantage of this solution is that a negative decision can be reached much faster (down to constant time), once you have paid the overhead of building the lookup table.
Pseudocode:
Imperative style:
# preparing the lookup table
dict = {}
for i, x in seq:
if exists dict[x]:
dict[x].append(i)
else:
dict[x] = [i]
def subsequence? subseq:
min_index = -1
for x in subseq:
if indices = dict[x]:
suitable_indices = indices.filter(_ > min_index)
return false if suitable_indices.empty?
min_index = suitable_indices[0]
else:
return false
return true
Functional style:
let subsequence? subseq =
let rec subseq-loop = function
| [] _ -> true
| x::subseq min-index ->
match (map (filter (_ > min-index)) data[x])
| None -> false
| Some([]) -> false
| Some(new-min::_) -> subseq-loop subseq new-min
in
subseq-loop subseq -1
Example implementation (Perl):
use strict; use warnings; use signatures; use Test::More;
sub build_dict ($seq) {
my %dict;
while (my ($i, $x) = each @$seq) {
push @{ $dict{$x} }, $i;
}
return \%dict;
}
sub is_subsequence_i ($seq, $subseq) {
my $min_index = -1;
my $dict = build_dict($seq);
for my $x (@$subseq) {
my $indices = $dict->{$x} or return 0;
($min_index) = grep { $_ > $min_index } @$indices or return 0;
}
return 1;
}
sub is_subsequence_f ($seq, $subseq) {
my $dict = build_dict($seq);
use feature 'current_sub';
return sub ($subseq, $min_index) {
return 1 if @$subseq == 0;
my ($x, @subseq) = @$subseq;
my ($new_min) = grep { $_ > $min_index } @{ $dict->{$x} // [] } or return 0;
__SUB__->(\@subseq, $new_min);
}->($subseq, -1);
}
my $A = [1, 2, 3, 4];
my $B = [1, 3];
my $C = [1, 3, 4];
my $D = [3, 1];
my $E = [1, 2, 5];
for my $is_subsequence (\&is_subsequence_i, \&is_subsequence_f) {
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $B), 'B in A';
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $C), 'C in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $D), 'D not in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $E), 'E not in A';
ok $is_subsequence->([1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 5, 6], [2, 3, 6]), 'multiple nums';
}
done_testing;
Dictionary Lookup Variant: Encoding as a Finite State Machine
Description
We can further reduce algorithmic complexity down to O(subseq.size) if we trade in more memory. Instead of mapping elements to their indices, we create a graph where each node represents an element at its index. The edges show possible transitions, e.g. the sequence a, b, a would have the edges a@1 → b@2, a@1 → a@3, b@2 → a@3. This graph is equivalent to a finite state machine.
During lookup we maintain a cursor which initially is the first node of the tree. We then walk the edge for each element in the sublist B. If no such edge exists, then B is no sublist. If after all elements the cursor contains a valid node, then B is a sublist.
Pseudocode
Imperative style:
# preparing the graph
graph = {}
for x in seq.reverse:
next_graph = graph.clone
next_graph[x] = graph
graph = next_graph
def subseq? subseq:
cursor = graph
for x in subseq:
cursor = graph[x]
return false if graph == null
return true
Functional style:
let subseq? subseq =
let rec subseq-loop = function
| [] _ -> true
| x::subseq graph -> match (graph[x])
| None -> false
| Some(next-graph) -> subseq-loop subseq next-graph
in
subseq-loop subseq graph
Example implementation (Perl):
use strict; use warnings; use signatures; use Test::More;
sub build_graph ($seq) {
my $graph = {};
for (reverse @$seq) {
$graph = { %$graph, $_ => $graph };
}
return $graph;
}
sub is_subsequence_i ($seq, $subseq) {
my $cursor = build_graph($seq);
for my $x (@$subseq) {
$cursor = $cursor->{$x} or return 0;
}
return 1;
}
sub is_subsequence_f ($seq, $subseq) {
my $graph = build_graph($seq);
use feature 'current_sub';
return sub ($subseq, $graph) {
return 1 if @$subseq == 0;
my ($x, @subseq) = @$subseq;
my $next_graph = $graph->{$x} or return 0;
__SUB__->(\@subseq, $next_graph);
}->($subseq, $graph);
}
my $A = [1, 2, 3, 4];
my $B = [1, 3];
my $C = [1, 3, 4];
my $D = [3, 1];
my $E = [1, 2, 5];
for my $is_subsequence (\&is_subsequence_i, \&is_subsequence_f) {
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $B), 'B in A';
ok $is_subsequence->($A, $C), 'C in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $D), 'D not in A';
ok ! $is_subsequence->($A, $E), 'E not in A';
ok $is_subsequence->([1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 5, 6], [2, 3, 6]), 'multiple nums';
}
done_testing;
