Help me sort my socks!
Pyth, 25 bytes
hf!u #-R.-F{BhMs_BMGGT)./
Explanation:
hf!u #-R.-F{BhMs_BMGGT)./
./ Form all partitions (implicitly) of the input.
f Filter the permutations on
u T) Run the following function on the partition
until it reaches a fixed point:
_BMG Bifurcate the lists on reversal
s Concatenate
hM Take the first element of each list.
These elements are all the ones on the ends of lists.
{B Bifurcate on deduplication
.-F Bagwise subtraction.
Only elements repeated in ends of lists remain.
-R G Remove these elements from each list.
' #' Filter out empty lists.
! Negate. Only an empty list as fixed point succeeds.
h Output the first successful partition.
JavaScript (ES6), 329
Not an easy task for a language that has no combinatorics builtins.
Probably sligthly more golfable.
Note: all partition are at least of size 2, as a partition with a single element is always less useful.
Example: [1] [2 3 4] // can take 1 or 2 or 4
Better: [1 2] [3 4] // can take 3 too
a=>{G=(v,i,u=v)=>{if(i--){for(;r[i]=--u;)if(G(u,i))return 1;}else for(w=[...r,n=l].map((x,i)=>a.slice(z,z=x-~i),z=0),y=w.join`;`;w.map(b=>[0,1].map(q=>(x=b[q*=~-b.length])&&(t[x]?([c,p]=t[x],n-=2,p?c.pop():c.shift(),q?b.pop():b.shift()):t[x]=[b,q])),c=0,t=[]),c;)if(!n)return 1};for(l=a.length,r=[],k=0;!G(l-k-1,k);k++);return y}
Explanation in parts
(it's overly verbose, but I found it tough to explain - eventually skip to "put it all together")
A recursive function to enumerate all possible splits of an array
// v: array length
// i number of splits
// fill the global array r that must exists
G=(v,i,u=v)=>
{
if(i--)
{
for(;r[i]=--u;)
G(u,i)
}
else
{
// the current split position are in r, ready to use
// for instance...
parts = [...r,a.length].map(x=>a.slice(z,z=x),z=0)
console.log(r, parts)
}
};
r=[]
a=['A','B','C','D']
G(4, 2)
// output in console (firebug)
[2, 3] [["A", "B"], ["C"], ["D"]]
[1, 3] [["A"], ["B", "C"], ["D"]]
[1, 2] [["A"], ["B"], ["C", "D"]]
Now, I need partitions of size 2 or more, so I must use this function with sligtly different parameters. The parameter v is "array size - number of desired partitions - 1". Then I must build the partitions in a slightly different way.
// Same call (4,2), same r, but the array b is of size 7
part = [...r,b.length].map((x,i)=>
b.slice(z,z=x+i+1) // add 1 more element to each partition
,z=0))
// output in console (firebug)
[2, 3] [["A", "B", "C"], ["D", "E"], ["F", "G"]]
[1, 3] [["A", "B"], ["C", "D", "E"], ["F", "G"]]
[1, 2] [["A", "B"], ["C", "D"], ["E", "F", "G"]]
So, I can enumerate the list of partitions for no split, 1 split, 2 splits and so on. When I find a working partition I will stop and output the result found.
To check, scan the partition list, note the values at start and end of each, if found a repated value then remove it. Repeat until nothing can be removed, at last: if all pairs were removed then this partition is good.
t = []; // array to note the repeated values
// t[x] == [
// subarray holding value x,
// position of value x (I care zero or nonzero)
// ]
n = a.length // counter start, must reach 0
// remember part just in case, because this check will destroy it
result = part.join(';') // a string representation for return value
do
{
// in the golfed code there is a forr loop
// all this body is inside the for condition
c = 0; // init c to a falsy, if a pair is found c becomes truthy
part.forEach(b=> // b: array, current partition
[0,1].forEach(q=> ( // exec for 0 (start), 1 (end)
q *= b.length-1, // now q is the correct index
x = b[q]) // x is the value at start or end
x && ( // b could be empty, check that x is not 'undefined'
t[x] ? // is there a value in t at position x?
( // yes, remove the pair
n-=2, // pair found, decrement counter
[c, p] = t[x], // get stored array and position
p ? c.pop() : c.shift(), // remove from c at start or end
q ? b.pop() : b.shift() // remove twin value from b
)
: // no, remember the value in t
t[x] = [b, q]
)) // end [0,1].forEach
) // end part.forEach
}
while (c) // repeat until nothing can be removed
if(!n) return 1 // wow, result found (in 'result' variable)
Then, the missing part is just a loop caling the G function increasing the partition count. The loop exit when a result is found.
Put it all together
F=a=>{
G=(v,i,u=v)=>{
if (i--)
{
for(; r[i]=--u; )
if (G(u,i))
return 1;
}
else
{
w = [...r,n=l].map((x,i)=>a.slice(z, z = x-~i), z = 0);
y = w.join`;`;
for(; // almost all the for body is inside the condition
w.map(b=>
[0,1].map(q=>
(x=b[q*=~-b.length])
&&(t[x]
?([c,p]=t[x],n-=2,
p?c.pop():c.shift(),
q?b.pop():b.shift())
:t[x]=[b,q])) // end [0,1].map
,c=0,t=[] // init variables for w.map
),c; // the loop condition is on c
)
if(!n)return 1 // this is the for body
}
};
for(l = a.length, r = [], k = 0; !G(l-k-1, k); k++);
return y
}
Test
F=a=>{G=(v,i,u=v)=>{if(i--){for(;r[i]=--u;)if(G(u,i))return 1;}else for(w=[...r,n=l].map((x,i)=>a.slice(z,z=x-~i),z=0),y=w.join`;`;w.map(b=>[0,1].map(q=>(x=b[q*=~-b.length])&&(t[x]?([c,p]=t[x],n-=2,p?c.pop():c.shift(),q?b.pop():b.shift()):t[x]=[b,q])),c=0,t=[]),c;)if(!n)return 1};for(l=a.length,r=[],k=0;!G(l-k-1,k);k++);return y}
console.log=x=>O.textContent+=x+'\n'
TestData=[[1,1],[1,2,1,2],[1,3,2,4,3,2,1,4],[1,2,3,4,3,4,1,2],[1,1,2,2,3,3],[4,3,4,2,2,1,1,3]]
TestData.forEach(t=>console.log(t+' -> '+F(t)))
function RandomTest() {
var l=I.value*2
var a=[...Array(l)].map((_,i)=>1+i/2|0)
a.map((v,i)=>a[a[i]=a[j=0|i+Math.random()*(a.length-i)],j]=v) // shuffle
Q.textContent=a+''+'\n\n'+F(a).replace(/;/g, ';\n') // better readability
}Base test
<pre id=O></pre>
Random test. Number of pairs: <input id=I value=15><button onclick="RandomTest()">-></button>
<pre id=Q></pre>