Mini challenge. CEIL / FLOOR in RPN
#1

Hi All,

Recently I needed a FLOOR function on my HP41. Easy enough, but I decided to generalize the solution. I wanted FLOOR and CEILING functions that did not effect the stack (Y, Z, and T are preserved) and that did not use any registers. LASTX does not have to be correct.

My solution uses 44 bytes on an HP41 including 19 bytes for the LBL FLOOR, LBL CEIL and the END instructions. My solution does not update LASTX correctly but it could if I were willing to use more memory. I use no SP tricks but they are not disallowed. Off the top of my head I can't see how SP would help but I am going to look into it in more detail to see if I am missing something.

I worked on this for longer than I expected when I started the exercise and would love to see other solutions. I just can't shake the feeling that I am missing something obvious--some trick that will shave the code to half the size and twice the speed. At one point I thought that I had a very elegant truly tiny solution but it did not work for certain cases. I'll share later.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#2

How do you define FLOOR and CEIL for negative numbers?

#3

FLOOR(-2.3) = -3.0
CEIL(-2.3) = -2.0

Therein lies the trick because otherwise (for a positive number) FLOOR is just INT or IP. INTG on the 33S or 35S is a FLOOR function but as far as I can tell there is no CEILING on those machines.

Cheers,

-Marwan


Edited: 29 Oct 2011, 8:10 p.m.

#4

can we use alpha?

#5

41 RPN:

  1 LBL FLOOR
2 INT
3 x<0?
4 x<>0?
5 RTN
6 X<>L
7 FRC
8 x<>0?
9 ST- L
10 X<>L
11 INT
12 RTN
Q&D. CEIL shouldn't be much different. Correct me if wrong, but LastX preserved.


Edited: 29 Oct 2011, 9:05 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

#6

Extending Egan's code using CEIL(x) = -FLOOR(-x):

  1 LBL CEIL
2 CHS
3 XEQ 00
4 CHS
5 RTN
6 LBL 00
7 LBL FLOOR
8 INT
9 x<0?
10 x<>0?
11 RTN
12 X<> L
13 FRC
14 x<>0?
15 ST- L
16 X<> L
17 INT
18 END

Is this 38 bytes all up?

- Pauli

Edit: merged in Egan's improvements

Edited: 29 Oct 2011, 9:12 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

#7

Doh! Concurrent updates. I changed it, shorter now.

#8

Easily fixed :-)


- Pauli

#9

No.

#10

Don't think that this is right. For FLOOR(-2.3) it returns -2. FLOOR(-2.3) should be -3.00.

#11

-2.3 return -2.0 not -3.0. INT would give you the same results. Solution not working correctly for negatives. Also, your solution to CEIL is exactly what I used in my solution. That is why LASTX does not work for CEIL in my solution.

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 29 Oct 2011, 10:35 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

#12

Blame Egan for the floor -- I just copied his code :-)

I checked the one byte longer version and I'm pretty sure floor(-2.3) was correct then.


- Pauli

#13

I never got to see the 1 byte longer version. I count 39 bytes in the current version (?). If the original version was 1 byte longer and works it is 4 bytes shorter than mine (I think).

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 29 Oct 2011, 10:41 p.m.

#14

FLOOR(x) = -CEIL(-x) and vice versa. This should help on the 33/35S.

#15

43 bytes, perfect function (YZT preserved, LASTX contains last X):

01*LBL"CEIL"
02 INT
03 X<>Y
04 X<> L
05 X>Y?
06 ISG Y
07 LBL 00 (NOP)
08 X<> L
09 X<>Y
10 RTN
11*LBL"FLOOR"
12 INT
13 X<>Y
14 X<> L
15 X<Y?
16 DSE Y
17 LBL 00 (NOP)
18 X<> L
19 X<>Y
20 END
it won't win the elegance prize, though ;-)

Cheers, Werner
#16

Nice. Actually I think it is pretty elegant--a single test, a single exit point (RTN), shorter, and you don't use a flag. Better than mine. But see Pauli's and Marcus's solution and comments above. If you are willing to give up LASTX (as I was) you can use:

LBL CEIL
CHS
XEQ 00
CHS
RTN
LBL FLOOR
LBL 00
...

This is what I did in my original solution and why I said that LAST X is correct for FLOOR but not for CEIL. It shortens the code considerably.

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 8:47 a.m.

#17

This will not work. First, the inital test makes no sense. It uses a well-known technique from the good old days: use two consecutive tests, and you will get a "composite test" for (NOT condition1) OR condition2.

So x<0? followed by x<>0? logically equals "X>=0 OR X<>0?", or in other words: "is x greater than zero, or equal to zero, or not equal to zero". Which is the case for any number. So the program will always stop after this test, simply returning INT(x). #-)

There also is not much sense in the sequence "X<>0? ST-L" as the test for non-zero X is obsolete: if X actually is zero subtracting it from L will not change anything.

Here's my (also Q&D) first idea for the '41:

01 LBL"FLOOR"
02 INT
03 X<> L
04 X<0?
05 DSE L
06 LBL 00
07 X<> L
08 END
It even sets LastX correctly. But it will not work for negative integers, so I'll keep trying. ;-)

Dieter

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 10:12 a.m.

#18

*clap* *clap*

I see the idea with DSE/ISG is quite obvious. And it's sufficiently elegant as well. ;-)

Dieter

#19

I regard the STO X command is the best NOP for the HP-41C and HP-42s.

Namir

#20

But STO X requires two bytes, while LBL 00 only takes one. ;-)

Dieter

#21

The Zenrom module offers a NOP instruction that is basically a text byte (I think) but I am not sure of the length. Also X <> X works well but is also two bytes as is STO X.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#22

Here is my original solution. But as noted elsewhere Werner's is better (which was partially what drove the challenge--find a better solution).

LBL CEIL
CHS
XEQ 00
CHS
RTN
LBL FLOOR
LBL 00
CF 20
FRC
X=0?
SF 20
CLX These two instruction could also be X <> L
LAST X which is the same number of bytes
INT
FS?C 20
RTN
X>0?
RTN
DSE X
RTN
END

44 bytes total preserves Y, Z, and T. Preserves LASTX for FLOOR but not for CEIL.

I don't see any way to do this without using a DSE instruction so I would love to see Egan's original solution it works. The later solution does not.

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 11:06 a.m.

#23

Quote:
LBL CEIL
CHS
XEQ 00
CHS
RTN

I found this relationship yesterday, at Wikipedia:

FLOOR(x) can be defined in terms of INT(x) and FRC(x), but I don't see this being mentioned there:

FLOOR(x) = INT(x) + INT(FRC(x) + 1) - 1

On the HP-15C, the following avoids any test, but preserves Y only. Perhaps it can be optimized on the HP-41.

001- f LBL C      ; CEIL
002- CHS
003- GSB A
004- CHS
005- g RTN
006- f LBL A ; FLOOR
007- g INT
008- g LSTx
009- f FRAC
010- 1
011- +
012- g INT
013- 1
014- -
015- +
016- g RTN

Regards,

Gerson.

#24

Hi Gerson,

I found the same relationship. The fly in the ointment in my original challenge, so to speak, was the requirement that the stack be preserved. I am trying to think of ways to optimize your solution on the 41 to meet that requirement.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#25

Quote:
The fly in the ointment in my original challenge, so to speak, was the requirement that the stack be preserved.

Yes, I am aware of it. That's not an easy task, congratulations for your and other's accomplishments!

Cheers,

Gerson.

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 12:55 p.m.

#26

Thanks. I have to say that it took me longer than Werner to come up with a less elegant solution <g>.

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 1:24 p.m.

#27

Hi Marwan,

I didn't come up with this on the fly, it's been in my files for quite a while now ;-)

cheers, Werner

#28

Equivalent formulas:

    CEIL(x)  = x - FRC(FRC(x) - 1)
FLOOR(x) = x - FRC(FRC(x) + 1)
However, as Dieter pointed out in
a previous post a few weeks ago, these
do not work for very small x.

eg for x = -1e-50 your FLOOR function will return the wrong result

Cheers, Werner

#29

You know, you guys are all too damn honest! :)

Cheers,

-Marwan

#30

Well, I continued to think about this while out cycling today and I think I have a 37 byte solution. There are a couple of caveats:

1.  LASTX is not preserved and
2. The solution is NOT symmetrical. That is you can't write a solution for FLOOR on it's own it has to be done through a call to CEIL because
the HP41 does not have symmetrical tests (that is there is an X<=0? but no X>=0? on the 41. It is symetrical on the 42S which has both tests.

Here is my latest effort:

LBL FLOOR
CHS
XEQ 00
CHS
RTN
LBL CEIL
LBL 00
FRC
X<=0?
GTO 00
CLX
1
ST+ L
LBL 00 This is *NOT* a NO-OP
X<>L
INT
END

Cheers,

-Marwan

EDIT: Fixes issue with longer fraction (ss.eeeii) as pointed out by Werner but adds 2 bytes. 39 bytes now.


Edited: 31 Oct 2011, 7:49 a.m. after one or more responses were posted

#31

Here's a 28 byte version, including 17 bytes for the alpha labels:
Using D. Knuth's definitions (Concrete Mathemetics, Ch. 3, p.67

FLOOR(x)="the greatest integer less than or equal to x." 
CEIL(x) ="the least integer greater than or equal to x."

For CIEL, we increment 1 for negative input, for FLOOR we decrement 1 for positive input, then return the IP of the result in all 4 cases (pos,neg input and CIEL,FLOOR selection).

00 { 28-Byte Prgm }
01>LBL "CIEL"
02 X>0?
03 ISG ST X
04 IP
05 GTO 00
06>LBL "FLOOR"
07 X<0?
08 DSE ST X
09>LBL 00
10 IP
11 .END.

Note: Does not account for integer inputs when ciel(x>0) or floor(x<0).

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 11:29 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

#32

I came up with this solution very early on in my efforts but it doesn't work. CEIL(2.0) is 2.0 not 3.0 as returned by this algorithm. Similarly FLOOR(-2.0) should return -2.0 and not -3.0.

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 11:33 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

#33

yep, just noted that in the comments.

#34

Yes. So does not work as a generalized solution.

#35

I like the trick you use to save a byte by:

ISG X
IP
GTO 00

Saves a byte over:

ISG X
LBL 00 NOP
IP
RTN

Very clever. Can be used to save 3 bytes in Werner's solution (which is, IMHO, the best so far).

Cheers,

-Marwan

Edited: 30 Oct 2011, 11:52 p.m.

#36

Hi Werner,

Did you see Alan's solution below? It does not work for integer values but he uses a trick that can shorten your version by 3 bytes.

Instead of:

ISG Y
LBL 00
X<> L
X<>Y
RTN

You can use:

ISG Y
LBL 00
GTO 00

A savings of 3 bytes.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#37

Ok, last try for the night. Does NOT use synthetic programming or flags.

It works by hard-coding a 3-variable K-map for POS/NEG, INT/Non-INT, inputs and CIEL/FLOOR function. (8 cases)

1) If NEG CEIL then return IP(X)         (2 cases)
2) Else If POS FLOOR then return IP(X) (2 cases)
3) Else If FP(X)=0 then return IP(X) (2 cases)
4) Else If X>0 return IP(X+1) (1 case)
5) Else If X<0 return IP(X-1) (1 case)

00 { 43-Byte Prgm }
01>LBL "CIEL"
02 X<0?
03 GTO 02
04 GTO 00
05>LBL "FLOOR"
06 X>0?
07 GTO 02
08>LBL 00
09 STO ST L
10 FP
11 X=0?
12 GTO 01
13 X>0?
14 ISG ST L
15 X<0?
16 DSE ST L
17>LBL 01
18 X<> ST L
19>LBL 02
20 IP
21 .END.

Edited: 31 Oct 2011, 2:04 a.m.

#38

Allen, all your solutions have something 'heavenly' ;-)

#39

But that doesn't work.. ISG and DSE work on numbers in sss.eeeii format,
and will thus add/subtract ii, or 1 when ii=0.

Try your example with PI for instance ...

Cheers, Werner

#40

Only two bytes ;-)

Werner

#41

Perhaps we can use a 'test' suite to guarantee that a program returns the correct solution in all cases.

So, how about (just for CEIL):

CEIL(0)      :   0 
CEIL(1e-50) : 1
CEIL(-1e-50) : 0
CEIL(2e-5) : 1
CEIL(-2e-5) : 0
CEIL(1) : 1
CEIL(-1) : -1
CEIL(PI) : 4
CEIL(-PI) : -3
CEIL(10) : 10
CEIL(-10) : -10
CEIL(1e50) : 1e50
That will do, I think ;-)

Cheers, Werner

#42

Right, sorry, GTO 00 is 2 bytes not 1 byte.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#43

Good idea. There are so many cases where true decrement / increment operators would have been useful.

Cheers,

-Marwan

#44

That's why the 34S has them :-)

I was also tempted to do the equivalent of ISG and DSE but without the skips.


- Pauli

#45

This looks like a 42S solution. I count 44 bytes for a 41. Also see Werner's comment below. That got me as well in my second solution (now fixed but 2 bytes longer).

Cheers,

-Marwan

#46

It always seemed to me that they should have been able to squeeze them into the 41.

#47

Wow- you're right, I get so used to using ISG/DSE on integers and forget there is a seldom-used increment value on the right!

#48

Following is a test driver based on Werner's test scenarios. It is not small but it does test all the suggested cases automatically. Since I currently have a number of FLOOR solutions in memory I have set it up so that the user enters the name of the CEIL and FLOOR functions. Run it by "XEQ FLTST" or if from within the program area "XEQ A" or simply A in user mode and then follow the prompts. You will be asked first for the CEIL FN name and then the FLOOR FN name. The calculator is already in ALPHA mode so enter the name and press R/S. Total size: 270 bytes.

LBL FLTST
LBL A
SF 21
CEIL FN
AON
AVIEW
AOFF
CLD
ASTO 01
0
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1
ENTER^
1E-50
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
0
-1E-50
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1
2E-5
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-1
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
4
PI
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-3
PI
CHS
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
10
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-10
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1E50
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
FLOOR FN
AON
AVIEW
AOFF
CLD
ASTO 01
0
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
0
1E-50
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-1
-1E-50
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
0
2E-5
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-1
-2E-5
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-1
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
3
PI
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-4
PI
CHS
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
10
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
-10
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
1E50
ENTER^
XEQ IND 01
X<>Y?
GTO 01
SUCCESS
AVIEW
RTN
LBL 01
FAIL
AVIEW
STOP
END

I hope this helps a little with testing these routines.

Cheers,

-Marwan



Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  HP Prime: FLOOR, iPart , and their use in programs Alberto Candel 6 2,554 12-01-2013, 10:17 PM
Last Post: Alberto Candel
  [PRIME] RPN: another attempt at returning more than one value to the RPN stack Marcus von Cube, Germany 5 2,381 11-05-2013, 02:44 AM
Last Post: Marcus von Cube, Germany
  HHC 2013 RPN Programming Challenge - Final Thought Jeff O. 7 2,308 10-17-2013, 11:02 AM
Last Post: Jeff O.
  HPCC Mini Conference 2013 hugh steers 6 2,194 09-13-2013, 04:27 PM
Last Post: BruceH
  Picture from the Mini-HHC (LA) Geir Isene 11 3,040 07-07-2013, 01:06 PM
Last Post: Jim Horn
  My birthday, so a little commemorative mini-challenge ! Valentin Albillo 43 8,013 03-07-2013, 03:44 AM
Last Post: Walter B
  WP 34S mini-challenge (B) Gerson W. Barbosa 17 4,473 12-27-2012, 04:39 PM
Last Post: Marcus von Cube, Germany
  HHC 2012 RPN Programming Challenge Conundrum Jeff O. 15 3,898 10-08-2012, 03:34 PM
Last Post: Gerson W. Barbosa
  Mini-challenge: HHC2012 RPL programming contest with larger input David Hayden 14 3,531 10-05-2012, 10:36 PM
Last Post: David Hayden
  HP41 / SY41CL Mini-B USB Power Connector (Module) Matt Kernal 5 3,145 07-08-2012, 06:23 PM
Last Post: Diego Diaz

Forum Jump: