what to do with a flawed C++ skills test - c

In the following gcc.gnu.org post, Nathan Myers says that a C++ skills test at SANS Consulting Services contained three errors in nine questions:
Looking around, one of fthe first on-line C++ skills tests I ran across was:
http://www.geekinterview.com/question_details/13090
I looked at question 1...
find(int x,int y)
{ return ((x<y)?0:(x-y)):}
call find(a,find(a,b)) use to find
(a) maximum of a,b
(b) minimum of a,b
(c) positive difference of a,b
(d) sum of a,b
... immediately wondering why would anyone write anything so obtuse. Getting past the absurdity, I didn't really like any of the answers, immediately eliminating (a) and (b) because you can get back zero (which is neither a nor b) in a variety of circumstances. Sum or difference seemed more likely, except that you could also get zero regardless of the magnitudes of a and b. So... I put Matlab to work (code below) and found: when either a or b is negative you get zero; when b > a you get a; otherwise you get b, so the answer is (b) min(a,b), if a and b are positive, though strictly speaking the answer should be none of the above because there are no range restrictions on either variable. That forces test takers into a dilemma - choose the best available answer and be wrong in 3 of 4 quadrants, or don't answer, leaving the door open to the conclusion that the grader thinks you couldn't figure it out.
The solution for test givers is to fix the test, but in the interim, what's the right course of action for test takers? Complain about the questions?
function z = findfunc(x,y)
for i=1:length(x)
if x(i) < y(i)
z(i) = 0;
else
z(i) = x(i) - y(i);
end
end
end
function [b,d1,z] = plotstuff()
k = 50;
a = [-k:1:k];
b = (2*k+1) * rand(length(a),1) - k;
d1 = findfunc(a,b);
z = findfunc(a,d1);
plot( a, b, 'r.', a, d1, 'g-', a, z, 'b-');
end

Why are you wasting your time taking tests such as the online one you linked to? That one is so bad that words are not enough to describe the horror.
What you're supposed to do in this case is wash your eyes with soap, get drunk and hope you won't remember anything in the morning...

I had the same issue on a test a few years ago.
The options were A, B, C, or D.
I wrote in option E with my answer and then clearly explained why the other four were wrong.
The test was taken remotely and got a call for an on-site interview the same day.
...you can take it for what it's worth.

I prefer to write notes on the test explaining where the test is invalid. I am also willing to discuss these items with interviewers.
I like to stand by my convictions against horrible code and especially code fragments on tests that are never used or very seldom used in the real world.

Related

How to get maximum value of matrix containing linear expressions?

I hope that someone can help me.
For the solution of an optimisation problem I have to get the maximum of a Matrix containing linear expressions to minimize this value in a second step.
For example I have the unbounded decision variables x and y
x.append(m.addVar(vtype=GRB.CONTINUOUS, lb=-GRB.INFINITY, ub=+GRB.INFINITY, name="x")))
y.append(m.addVar(vtype=GRB.CONTINUOUS, lb=-GRB.INFINITY, ub=+GRB.INFINITY, name="y")))
and the Matrix M = [0.25*x,0.25*x+y].
The maximum of the Matrix should be saved as M_max. Later the objective is to minimize M_max --> m.setObjective( M_max , GRB.MINIMIZE)
When I try it by typing in M_max = amax(M) I always get back the first element, here 0.25x. What operation returns the "real" maximum value? (Of Course my model is more complicated but I hope that you can understand my problem)
Thanks a lot for your help!
The manual approach would be:
introduce aux-var z (-inf, inf, cont)
add constraints
0.25*x <= z
0.25*x+y <= z
minimize (z)
Not sure if gurobi nowadays provide some automatic way.
Edit It seems newer gurobi-versions provide this functionality (of automatic reformulation) like explained here (python-docs; you need to check if those are available for your interface too; which could be python)
max_ ( variables )
Used to set a decision variable equal to the maximum of a list of decision variables (or constants). You can pass the arguments as a Python list or as a comma-separated list.
# example probably based on the assumption:
# import: from gurobipy import *
m.addConstr(z == max_(x, y, 3))
m.addConstr(z == max_([x, y, 3]))
You did not show what amax is you used. If it's numpy's amax or anything outside of gurobi, you cannot use it! Gurobi-vars don't behave as classic fp-variables and every operation on those variable-objects need to be backed by gurobi (often hidden through operator-overloading) or else gurobi can't make sure it's formalizing a valid mathematical-model.

Passing arrays from an Excel VBA function to a spreadsheet

I've passed arrays back and forth from spreadsheets to VBA functions many times. I recently "upgraded" to Excel 365, and now I can't get it to work. For example:
Public Function test(x As Range)
Dim y()
ReDim y(3)
y(1) = 1
y(2) = 2
y(3) = 3
test = y
End Function
Then I highlight three cells, for example, b1:b3, and in the top cell I enter =test(a1:a2) and hit shift-enter. This fills the range with an array formula that is supposed to receive y() from the test function.
However, the cells that reference the function are all zeroes. I put in debugging lines and I can tell the function is running as intended. It's just not passing the array to the spreadsheet.
What's up with that? Has anyone else had this experience?
#RDHS, #tim-williams and #garys-student - thank you for your spot-on answers. And Gary's student - thanks for the incredibly quick response. I'd vote everyone up but I can't 'cuz i'm noob.
But... for completeness' sake -- Your answer raise another question (of a more theoretical type): I SHOULD BE able to coerce a one-dimensional array into a range column directly, and vice versa.
Obviously it's easy enough to check the shape of the range and transform it accordingly (well, it's easy now that that you've shown me how!) But it's so sloppy:
using the above example, instead of just writing
test = y
I need to write:
if x.rows.count=1 then
test = y
else
test = worksheetfunction.transpose(y)
end if
I don't know about you but I'd take Door # 1 (test=y). The other way is SOOOO sloppy.
But MS is holding out on us - excel doesn't force you to do those gymnastics when using built-in spreadsheet array functions like index, match, etc... Index(C1:C10,3) and index(a3:k3,3) both return the value in C3, which is the third ITEM in each ARRAY. Index is smart enough to figure out which is the third item. Surely if you can do it on a worksheet, there must be a way to do it in VBA??
My favorite Comp. Sci. professor - one of the founders of the field of computer science - used to say, "A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant."
He actually made a lot of insightful observations, which he distributed over the ARPANET, making him one of the world's first bloggers (Google Alan Perlis). For twenty years, every programmer had a list of Perlisisms taped above his VT100 -- like:
"In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word 'frustration'";
"One man's constant is another man's variable";
"Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it."
I bring him up because the desire to produce "clean" code goes way back to the first coders on the first computers. And I was very fond of him.
Give this a try:
Public Function test(x As Range)
Dim y()
ReDim y(3)
y(0) = 1
y(1) = 2
y(2) = 3
test = WorksheetFunction.Transpose(y)
End Function

multiple checks in a 'if statement' in C language but not working

I have my code something like this.
int L=25;
float x;
Value to x is allotted by long calculation
if(x<=L)
x=x-L;
But it is not changing the value when x=L.
I have also tried
if(x>L || x==L)
Even in this case, value of x does not change for x=L.
Please help
Either x is slightly greater than 25 and you have been fooled into thinking it is exactly 25 by software that does not display the entire value correctly or the code being executed and the values being used differ from what you have shown in this question.
EDIT: Contrary to my initial view, and of some others, the issue isn't do with comparing different types. As per the comments, the most recent C standard that seems to be out there and free (http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/docs/n1570.pdf) makes it clear that comparison will force type conversion, generally towards the higher precision type.
AS an aside, in my personal view, it is still wiser to make these conversions explicit because then it is clear as you scan the code what is going on. The issue here is probably the one highlighted by another answerer.
It is quite possible the issue is with your typing. It is best to be explicit:
int L=25;
float x;
// Value to x is allotted by long calculation
if (x <= ((float)L)) {
x = x - ((float)L);
}

Prolog - Help fixing a rule

I have a database full of facts such as:
overground(newcrossgate,brockley,2).
overground(brockley,honoroakpark,3).
overground(honoroakpark,foresthill,3).
overground(foresthill,sydenham,2).
overground(sydenham,pengewest,3).
overground(pengewest,anerley,2).
overground(anerley,norwoodjunction,3).
overground(norwoodjunction,westcroydon,8).
overground(sydenham,crystalpalace,5).
overground(highburyandislington,canonbury,2).
overground(canonbury,dalstonjunction,3).
overground(dalstonjunction,haggerston,1).
overground(haggerston,hoxton,2).
overground(hoxton,shoreditchhighstreet,3).
example: newcrossgate to brockley takes 2 minutes.
I then created a rule so that if I enter the query istime(newcrossgate,honoroakpark,Z). then prolog should give me the time it takes to travel between those two stations. (The rule I made is designed to calculate the distance between any two stations at all, not just adjacent ones).
istime(X,Y,Z):- istime(X,Y,0,Z); istime(Y,X,0,Z).
istime(X,Y,T,Z):- overground(X,Y,Z), T1 is T + Z.
istime(X,Y,Z):- overground(X,A,T), istime(A,Y,T1), Z is T + T1.
istime(X,Y,Z):- overground(X,B,T), istime(B,X,T1), Z is T + T1.
it seems to work perfectly for newcrossgate to the first couple stations, e.g newcrossgate to foresthill or sydenham. However, after testing newcrossgate to westcroydon which takes 26mins, I tried newcrossgate to crystalpalace and prolog said it should take 15 mins...despite the fact its the next station after westcroydon. Clearly somethings wrong here, however it works for most of the stations while coming up with a occasional error in time every now and again, can anyone tell me whats wrong? :S
This is essentially the same problem as your previous question, the only difference is that you need to accumulate the time as you go.
One thing I see is that your "public" predicate, istime/3 tries to do too much. All it should do is seed the accumulator and invoke the worker predicate istime/4. Since you're looking for route/time in both directions, the public predicate should be just
istime( X , Y , Z ) :- istime( X , Y , 0 , Z ) .
istime( X , Y , Z ) :- istime( Y , X , 0 , Z ) .
The above is essentially the first clause of your istime/3 predicate
istime(X,Y,Z):- istime(X,Y,0,Z); istime(Y,X,0,Z).
The remaining clauses of istime/3, the recursive ones:
istime(X,Y,Z):- overground(X,A,T), istime(A,Y,T1), Z is T + T1.
istime(X,Y,Z):- overground(X,B,T), istime(B,X,T1), Z is T + T1.
should properly be part of istime/4 and have the accumulator present. That's where your problem is.
Give it another shot and edit your question to show the next iteration. If you still can't figure it out, I'll show you some different ways to do it.
Some Hints
Your "worker" predicate will likely look a lot like your earlier "find a route between two stations" exercise, but it will have an extra argument, the accumulator for elapsed time.
There are two special cases. If you use the approach you used in your "find a route between two stations" solution, the special cases are
A and B are directly adjacent.
A and B are connected via at least one intermediate stop.
There's another approach as well, that might be described as using lookahead, in which case the special cases are
A and B are the same, in which case you're arrived.
A and B are not and are connected by zero or more intermediate stops.
FWIW, You shouldn't necessarily expect the route with the shortest elapsed time or the minimal number of hops to be the first solution found. Backtracking will produce all the routes, but the order in which they are found has to do with the order in which the facts are stored in the database. A minimal cost search of the graph is another kettle of fish entirely.
Have you tried to cycle through answers with ;? 26mins is not the shortest time between newcrossgate and westcroydon...
Edit: my bad! Apparently the shorter results were due to a bug in your code (see my comment about the 4th clause). However, your code is correct, 15mins is the shortest route between newcrossgate and crystalpalace. Only because there is a route that goes from newcrossgate to westcroydon, then crystalpalace, that doesn't mean it's the shortest route, or the route your program will yield first.
Update: if you're running into problems to find answers to some routes, I'd suggest changing the 3rd clause to:
istime(X,Y,_,Z):- overground(X,A,T), istime(A,Y,T1), Z is T + T1.
The reason is simple: your first clause swaps X with Y, which is good, since with that you're saying the routes are symmetrical. However, the 3rd clause does not benefit from that, because it's never called by the swapped one. Ignoring the 3rd argument (which you're not using anyway) and thus letting the 1st clause call the 3rd might fix your issue, since some valid routes that were not used previously will be now.
(also: I agree with Nicholas Carey's answer, it would be better to use the third argument as an accumulator; but as I said, ignoring it for now might just work)
To make it work you need to do the reverse of both journeys stated in your last clause.
Keep the predicate as it is, istime(X,Y,Z) and just make another clause containing the reverse journeys.
This way it works with all the stations. (Tried and Tested)

Determining Bias for Neural network Perceptrons?

This is one thing in my beginning of understand neural networks is I don't quite understand what to initially set a "bias" at?
I understand the Perceptron calculates it's output based on:
P * W + b > 0
and then you could calculate a learning pattern based on b = b + [ G - O ] where G is the Correct Output, and O is the actual Output (1 or 0) to calculate a new bias...but what about an initial bias.....I don't really understand how this is calculated, or what initial value should be used besides just "guessing", is there any type of formula for this?
Pardon if Im mistaken on anything, Im still learning the whole Neural network idea before I implement my own (crappy) one.
The same goes for learning rate.....I mean most books and such just kinda "pick one" for μ.
The short answer is, it depends...
In most cases (I believe) you can just treat the bias just like any other weight (so it might get initialised to some small random value), and it will get updated as you train your network. The idea is that all the biases and weights will end up converging on some useful set of values.
However, you can also set the weights manually (with no training) to get some special behaviours: for example, you can use the bias to make a perceptron behave like a logic gate (assume binary inputs X1 and X2 are either 0 or 1, and the activation function is scaled to give an output of 0 or 1).
OR gate: W1=1, W2=1, Bias=0
AND gate: W1=1, W2=1, Bias=-1
You can solve the classic XOR problem by using AND and OR as the first layer in a multilayer network, and feed them into a third perceptron with W1=3 (from the OR gate), W2=-2 (from the AND gate) and Bias=-2, like this:
(Note: these values will be different if your activation function is scaled to -1/+1, ie a SGN function)
As to how to set the learning rate, that also depends(!) but I think usually something like 0.01 is recommended. Basically you want the system to learn as quickly as possible, but not so quickly that the weights fail to converge properly.
Since #Richard has already answered the greater part of the question I'll only elaborate on the learning rate. From what I've read (and it's working) there is a very simple formula that you can use in order to update the learning rate for each iteration k and it is:
learningRate_k = constant/k
Here obviously the 0th iteration is excluded since you'll be dividing by zero. The constant can be whatever you want it to be (except 0 of course since it will not be making any sense :D) but the easiest is naturally 1 so you get
learningRate_k = 1/k
The resulting series obeys two basic rules:
lim_(t->inf) SUM from k=1 to t (learningRate_k) = inf
lim_(t->inf) SUM from k=1 to t (learningRate_k^2) < inf
Note that the convergence of your perceptron is directly connected to the learning rate series. It starts big (for k=1 you get 1/1=1) and gets smaller and smaller with each and every update of your perceptron since - as in real life - when you encounter something new at the beginning you learn a lot but later on you learn less and less.

Resources