Algorithm::Networksort - Create inline comparisons for sorting.
use Algorithm::Networksort qw(:all); my $inputs = 4; # # Generate the network (a list of comparators). # my @network = nw_comparators($inputs); # # Print the list, and print the graph of the list. # print nw_format(\@network, $inputs), "\n"; print nw_graph(\@network, $inputs), "\n";
This module will create sorting networks, a sequence of comparisons that do not depend upon the results of prior comparisons.
Since the sequences and their order never change, they can be very useful if deployed in hardware or used in software with a compiler that can take advantage of parallelism. Unfortunately a network cannot be used for generic run-time sorting like quicksort since the arrangement of the comparisons is fixed according to the number of elements to be sorted.
This module's main purpose is to create compare-and-swap macros (or functions, or templates) that one may insert into source code. It may also be used to create images of the networks in either encapsulated postscript (EPS), scalar vector graphics (SVG), or in "ascii art" format.
None by default. There is only one available export tag, ':all', which exports the functions to create and use sorting networks. The functions are nw_comparator(), nw_format(), nw_graph(), nw_color(), nw_group(), and nw_sort().
@network = nw_comparator($inputs); @network1 = nw_comparator($inputs, algorithm => $alg);
Returns a list of comparators that can sort $inputs items. The algorithm for generating the list may be chosen, but by default the network is generated by the Bose-Nelson algorithm. The different methods will produce different networks in general, although in some cases the differences will be in the arrangement of the comparators, not in their number.
The choices for algorithm are
Use the Bose-Nelson algorithm to generate the network. This is the most commonly implemented algorithm, recursive and simple to code.
Use Hibbard's algorithm. This iterative algorithm was developed after the Bose-Nelson algorithm was published, and produces a different network "... for generating the comparisons one by one in the order in which they are needed for sorting," according to his article (see below).
Use Batcher's Merge Exchange algorithm. Merge Exchange is a real sort, in that in its usual form (for example, as described in Knuth) it can handle a variety of inputs. But while sorting it always generates an identical set of comparison pairs per array size, which lends itself to network sorting.
For some inputs, networks have been discovered that are more efficient than those generated by rote algorithms. When 'best' is specified one of these are returned instead. The term "best" does not actually guarantee the best network for all cases. It simply means that at the time of this version of the module, the network returned has the lowest number of comparators for the number of inputs. Considerations of parallelism, or of other networks with an equally low comparator count but different arrangement are ignored.
Currently more efficient networks have been discoverd for inputs of nine through sixteen. If you choose 'best' outside of this range the module will fall back to Bose-Nelson.
$string = nw_format(\@network, $format1, $format2, \@index_base);
Returns a formatted string that represents the list of comparators. There are two sprintf-style format strings, which lets you separate the comparison and exchange portions if you want. The second format string is optional.
The first format string may also be ignored, in which case the default format will be used: an array of arrays as represented in perl.
The network sorting pairs are zero-based. If you want the pairs written out for some sequence other than 0, 1, 2, ... then you can provide that in an array reference.
Example 0: you want a string in the default format.
print nw_format(\@network);
Example 1: you want the output to look like the default format, but one-based instead of zero-based.
print nw_format(\@network, undef, undef, [1..$inputs]);
Example 2: you want a simple list of SWAP macros.
print nw_format(\@network, "SWAP(%d, %d);\n");
Example 3: as with example 2, but the SWAP values need to be one-based instead of zero-based.
print nw_format(\@network, "SWAP(%d, %d);\n", undef, [1..$inputs]);
Example 4: you want a series of comparison and swap statements.
print nw_format(\@network, "if (v[%d] < v[%d]) then\n", " exchange(v, %d, %d)\nend if\n");
Example 5: you want the default format to use letters, not numbers.
my @alphabase = ('a'..'z')[0..$inputs]; my $string = '[' . nw_format(\@network, "[%s,%s],", # Note that we're using the string flag. undef, \@alphabase); substr($string, -1, 1) = ']'; # Overwrite the trailing comma. print $string;
Sets the colors of the svg graph parts (eps support will come later). The parts are named.
Opening of input line.
The input line.
Closing of the input line.
Opening of the comparator.
The comparator line.
Closing of the comparator line.
Default color for the graph as a whole.
Color of the background. Currently unimplemented in SVG.
All parts not named are reset to 'undef', and will be colored with the default 'foreground' color. The foreground color itself has a default value of 'black'. The one exception is the 'background' color, which has no default color at all.
Returns a string that graphs out the comparators in a network. The format may be encapsulated postscript (graph=>'eps'), scalar vector graphics (graph=>'svg'), or the default plain text (graph=>'text' or none). The 'text' and 'eps' options produce output that is self-contained. The 'svg' option produces output between <svg> and </svg> tags, which needs to be combined with XML markup in order to be viewed.
my $inputs = 4; my @network = nw_comparators($inputs); print q(<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>\n) . nw_graph(\@network, $inputs, graph=>'svg');
The 'graph' option is not the only one available. The graphing can be adjusted to your needs using the following options.
Default value: undef. A tag prefix that allows programs to distinguish between different XML vocabularies that have the same tag. If undefined, no tag prefix is used.
Default value: 18. The horizontal spacing between the edges of the graphic and the network.
Default value: 12. The spacing separating the horizontal lines (the input lines).
Default value: 9. The indention between the start of the input lines and the placement of the first comparator. The same value spaces the placement of the final comparator and the end of the input lines.
Default value: 2. Width of the lines used to define comparators and input lines. Also represents the radii of the endpoint circles.
Default value: "N = $inputs Sorting Network." Title of the graph. It should be a short one-line description.
Default value: 21. The vertical spacing between the edges of the graphic and the network.
Default value: 12. The spacing separating the vertical lines (the comparators).
Default value: "o-". The starting characters for the input line.
Default value: "---". The characters that make up an input line.
Default value: "-|-". The characters that make up an input line that has a comparator crossing over it.
Default value: "-o\n". The characters that make up the end of an input line.
Default value: "-^-". The characters that make up an input line with the starting point of a comparator.
Default value: "-v-". The characters that make up an input line with the end point of a comparator.
Default value: " " (two spaces). The characters that start the gap between the input lines.
Default value: " | " (space vertical bar space). The characters that make up the gap with a comparator passing through.
Default value: " " (three spaces). The characters that make up the space between the input lines.
Default value: " \n" (two spaces and a newline). The characters that end the gap between the input lines.
This is a function called by nw_graph(). The function takes the comparator list and returns a list of comparator lists, each sub-list representing a group of comparators that can be printed in a single column. There is one option available, 'grouping', that will produce a grouping that represents parallel operations of comparators.
The chances that you will need to use this function are slim, but the following code snippet may represent an example:
my $inputs = 8; my @network = nw_comparators($inputs); my @grouped_network = nw_group(\@network, $inputs, grouping=>'parallel'); print "There are ", scalar @network, " comparators in this network, grouped into\n", scalar @grouped_network, " parallel operations.\n\n"; foreach my $group (@grouped_network) { print nw_format($group), "\n"; } @grouped_network = nw_group(\@network, $inputs); print "\nThis will be graphed in ", scalar @grouped_network, " columns.\n";
This will produce:
There are 19 comparators in this network, grouped into 6 parallel operations. [[0,4],[1,5],[2,6],[3,7]] [[0,2],[1,3],[4,6],[5,7]] [[2,4],[3,5],[0,1],[6,7]] [[2,3],[4,5]] [[1,4],[3,6]] [[1,2],[3,4],[5,6]] This will be graphed in 11 columns.
Sort an array using the network. This is meant for testing purposes only - looping around an array of comparators in order to sort an array in an interpreted language is not the most efficient mechanism for using a sorting network.
This function uses the <=> operator for comparisons.
<=>
my @digits = (1, 8, 3, 0, 4, 7, 2, 5, 9, 6); my @network = nw_comparators(scalar @digits, algorithm => 'best'); nw_sort(\@network, \@digits); print join(", ", @digits);
Bose and Nelson, "A Sorting Problem", Journal of the ACM, Vol. 9, 1962, pp. 282-296.
Joseph Celko, "Bose-Nelson Sort", Doctor Dobb's Journal, September 1985.
Frederick Hegeman, "Sorting Networks", The C/C++ User's Journal, February 1993.
Joseph Celko, "Scrubbing Data with Non-1NF Tables", http://www.dbazine.com/celko19.shtml.
T. N. Hibbard, "A Simple Sorting Algorithm", Journal of the ACM Vol. 10, 1963, pp. 142-50.
Code for Kenneth Batcher's Merge Exchange algorithm was derived from Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming, Vol. 3, section 5.2.2.
Batcher has written two other sorting algorithms that can generate network sorting pairs, the "Odd-Even" algorithm and the "Bitonic" algorithm. His paper on them can be found on his web site: http://www.cs.kent.edu/faculty/batcher.html.
Kenneth Batcher, "Sorting Networks and their Applications", Proc. of the AFIPS Spring Joint Computing Conf., Vol. 32, 1968, pp. 307-3114.
Ian Parberry, "A computer assisted optimal depth lower bound for sorting networks with nine inputs", http://www.eng.unt.edu/ian/pubs/snverify.pdf.
The Evolving Non-Determinism (END) algorithm has found more efficient networks: http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~hugues/sorting_networks.html.
Donald E. Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming, Vol. 3: (2nd ed.) Sorting and Searching, Addison Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Redwood City, CA, 1998.
T. H. Cormen, E. E. Leiserson, R. L. Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms, McGraw-Hill, 1990.
John M. Gamble may be found at jgamble@ripco.com
To install Algorithm::Networksort, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm Algorithm::Networksort
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install Algorithm::Networksort
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.