Outer Product: Difference between revisions

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{{Built-in|Outer Product|<nowiki>∘.</nowiki>}}, or '''Table''' is a [[monadic operator]], which will produce a [[dyadic function]] when applied with a [[dyadic function]]. In short, outer product allows you to apply a given function on each element of the left array with each element of the right array. Basically, a shortcut for constructing nested [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_loop for loop]s.
{{Built-in|Outer Product|<nowiki>∘.</nowiki>}}, or '''Table''' is a [[monadic operator]], which will produce a [[dyadic function]] when applied with a [[dyadic function]]. Outer product applies the [[operand]] function on each [[element]] of the left array with each element of the right array. It can be described as a shortcut for constructing nested [[wikipedia:for loop|for loop]]s.


=== Syntax ===
=== Syntax ===
By right, a [[monadic operator]] should be a single [[glyph]], and the operand should be on the left. However, for [[backwards compatibility|historical reasons]], the outer product operator is not only a [[bi-glyph]] denoted as <source lang=apl inline>∘.</source>, the operand also appears on the right instead.
Outer Product differs from all other [[monadic operator]]s, which are written as a single [[glyph]], with the operand on the left. For [[backwards compatibility|historical reasons]], the outer product operator is a [[bi-glyph]] denoted as <source lang=apl inline>∘.</source>, and its appears on the right.


Notably, this syntactical inconsistency is resolved in [[J]] and [[BQN]], where the outer product operator, called Table, and denoted <source lang=j inline>/</source> and <code>⌜</code> respectively, abide by the usual operator syntax.
This syntactical inconsistency is resolved in [[J]] and [[BQN]], where the outer product operator, called Table, and denoted <source lang=j inline>/</source> and <code>⌜</code> respectively, have the usual operator syntax.


=== Examples ===
=== Examples ===
Line 48: Line 48:


=== Applications ===
=== Applications ===
Outer product is useful for solving problems that intuitively requires a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_complexity#Polynomial_time polynomial time] algorithm.  
Outer product is useful for solving problems that intuitively require a [[wikipedia:Time_complexity#Polynomial_time|polynomial time]] algorithm. This may also indicate that such an algorithm is not the fastest solution.
However, this also indicates that such an algorithm might not be the fastest solution.


For example, suppose we want to find duplicated elements in an non-[[nested array]]. Intuitively speaking, the easiest way to solve this problem is to compare each element of the array with all other elements, which is exactly what an outer product does.
For example, suppose we want to find duplicated elements in an non-[[nested array]]. Intuitively speaking, the easiest way to solve this problem is to compare each element of the array with all other elements, which is exactly what an outer product does.
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       primes 20
       primes 20
2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19
2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19
</source>
</source>
Again, using outer product might not yield the fastest solution. There are faster solutions such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieve_of_Eratosthenes Sieve of Eratosthenes].
Here there are faster solutions such as the [[wikipedia:Sieve of Eratosthenes|Sieve of Eratosthenes]].
== External links ==
== External links ==



Revision as of 19:16, 6 September 2021

∘.

Outer Product (∘.), or Table is a monadic operator, which will produce a dyadic function when applied with a dyadic function. Outer product applies the operand function on each element of the left array with each element of the right array. It can be described as a shortcut for constructing nested for loops.

Syntax

Outer Product differs from all other monadic operators, which are written as a single glyph, with the operand on the left. For historical reasons, the outer product operator is a bi-glyph denoted as ∘., and its appears on the right.

This syntactical inconsistency is resolved in J and BQN, where the outer product operator, called Table, and denoted / and respectively, have the usual operator syntax.

Examples

      x ← 1 2 3
      y ← 4 5 6
      x ∘., y ⍝ visualizing outer product
┌───┬───┬───┐
│1 4│1 5│1 6│
├───┼───┼───┤
│2 4│2 5│2 6│
├───┼───┼───┤
│3 4│3 5│3 6│
└───┴───┴───┘

      ⍝ works for multi-dimensional arrays as well
      y←2 3 ⍴ 'abcdef'
      x←2 2 ⍴ ⍳4
      x∘.,y 
┌───┬───┬───┐
│1 a│1 b│1 c│
├───┼───┼───┤
│1 d│1 e│1 f│
└───┴───┴───┘
┌───┬───┬───┐
│2 a│2 b│2 c│
├───┼───┼───┤
│2 d│2 e│2 f│
└───┴───┴───┘
             
┌───┬───┬───┐
│3 a│3 b│3 c│
├───┼───┼───┤
│3 d│3 e│3 f│
└───┴───┴───┘
┌───┬───┬───┐
│4 a│4 b│4 c│
├───┼───┼───┤
│4 d│4 e│4 f│
└───┴───┴───┘

Applications

Outer product is useful for solving problems that intuitively require a polynomial time algorithm. This may also indicate that such an algorithm is not the fastest solution.

For example, suppose we want to find duplicated elements in an non-nested array. Intuitively speaking, the easiest way to solve this problem is to compare each element of the array with all other elements, which is exactly what an outer product does.

      x ← 1 2 3 2
      ⎕ ← matrix ← x∘.=x ⍝ compare elements with each other using equal
1 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
0 0 1 0
0 1 0 1
      ⎕ ← count ← +/matrix ⍝ get the number of occurence of each element
1 2 1 2
      ⎕ ← indices ← count ≥ 2 ⍝ get the indices of elements which occured more than once
0 1 0 1
      ⎕ ← duplicated ← ∪ indices/x 
2

      ∪((+/x∘.=x)≥2)/x ⍝ everything above in one line
2
      (⊢∪⍤/⍨2≤(+/∘.=⍨)) x ⍝ point-free/tacit version
2

Using similar techniques, we can define a function that generates prime numbers by using an outer product of Residue.

     primes ← {x←1↓⍳⍵ ⋄ (2>+⌿0=x∘.|x)/x}
     primes 10
2 3 5 7
      primes 20
2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19

Here there are faster solutions such as the Sieve of Eratosthenes.

External links

Documentation


APL built-ins [edit]
Primitives (Timeline) Functions
Scalar
Monadic ConjugateNegateSignumReciprocalMagnitudeExponentialNatural LogarithmFloorCeilingFactorialNotPi TimesRollTypeImaginarySquare Root
Dyadic AddSubtractTimesDivideResiduePowerLogarithmMinimumMaximumBinomialComparison functionsBoolean functions (And, Or, Nand, Nor) ∙ GCDLCMCircularComplexRoot
Non-Scalar
Structural ShapeReshapeTallyDepthRavelEnlistTableCatenateReverseRotateTransposeRazeMixSplitEncloseNestCut (K)PairLinkPartitioned EnclosePartition
Selection FirstPickTakeDropUniqueIdentityStopSelectReplicateExpandSet functions (IntersectionUnionWithout) ∙ Bracket indexingIndexCartesian ProductSort
Selector Index generatorGradeIndex OfInterval IndexIndicesDealPrefix and suffix vectors
Computational MatchNot MatchMembershipFindNub SieveEncodeDecodeMatrix InverseMatrix DivideFormatExecuteMaterialiseRange
Operators Monadic EachCommuteConstantReplicateExpandReduceWindowed ReduceScanOuter ProductKeyI-BeamSpawnFunction axis
Dyadic BindCompositions (Compose, Reverse Compose, Beside, Withe, Atop, Over) ∙ Inner ProductDeterminantPowerAtUnderRankDepthVariantStencilCutDirect definition (operator)
Quad names Index originComparison toleranceMigration levelAtomic vector