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Implementation of Exact Cover Problem and Algorithm X using DLX

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In the article Exact Cover Problem and Algorithm X | Set 1 we discussed the Exact Cover problem and Algorithm X to solve the Exact cover problem. In this article, we’ll discuss the implementation details of Algorithm X using Dancing Links Technique (DLX) proposed by Dr Donald E. Knuth in his paper “Dancing Links

Dancing Link Technique

Dancing link technique relies on the idea of doubly circular linked list. As discussed in previous article, we transform exact cover problem in form of matrix of 0 and 1. Here each “1” in the matrix is represented by a node of linked list and the whole matrix is transformed into a mesh of 4 way connected nodes. Each node contains following fields –

  • Pointer to node left to it
  • Pointer to node right to it
  • Pointer to node above it
  • Pointer to node below it
  • Pointer to list header node to which it belongs

Each row of the matrix is thus a circular linked list linked to each other with left and right pointers and each column of the matrix will also be circular linked list linked to each above with up and down pointer. Each column list also includes a special node called “list header node”. This header node is just like simple node but have few extra fields –

  • Column id
  • Count of nodes in current column

We can have two different kinds of nodes but in our implementation, we will create only one kind of node with all fields for convenience with an additional “Row id” field which will tell which row this node belongs to. So for matrix – Matrix The 4-way linked matrix will look like this –

Four way linked matrix

Four way linked matrix

So the pseudo code for search algorithm (Algorithm X) will be –

f( h.right == h ) { 
     printSolutions(); 
     return; 
} 
else { 
     ColumnNode column = getMinColumn(); 
     cover(column); 

     for( Node row = column.down ; rowNode != column ;
        rowNode = rowNode.down ) { 
            solutions.add( rowNode ); 

            for( Node rightNode = row.right ; rightNode != row ;
                 rightNode = rightNode.right ) 
                    cover( rightNode ); 

     Search( k+1); 
     solutions.remove( rowNode ); 
     column = rowNode.column; 

     for( Node leftNode = rowNode.left ; leftNode != row ;
              leftNode = leftNode.left )                                                                             
            uncover( leftNode ); 
     } 
     uncover( column ); 
} 

Covering Node

As discussed in the algorithm, we have to remove columns and all the rows to which nodes of that column belongs to. This process is here referred as covering of node. To remove a column we can simply unlink header of that column from neighboring headers. This way this column cannot be accessed. This process is similar to removal of node from doubly linked list, suppose we want to remove node x then –

x.left.right = x.right
x.right.left = x.left

Similarly to remove a row we have to unlink all nodes of row from nodes of row above and below it.

x.up.down = x.down
x.down.up = x.up

Thus the pseudo code for cover(node) becomes –

Node column = dataNode.column; 

column.right.left = column.left; 
column.left.right = column.right; 

for( Node row = column.down ; row != column ; row = row.down ) 
    for( Node rightNode = row.right ; rightNode != row ; 
         rightNode = rightNode.right ) { 
         rightNode.up.down = rightNode.down; 
         rightNode.down.up = rightNode.up; 
    } 
} 

So for example, after covering column A, matrix will look like this –

covering

covering

Here we first remove the column from other columns then we move down to each column node and remove row by traversing right, so row 2 and 4 is removed.

Uncovering Node

Suppose algorithm reached a dead end and no solution is possible in that case algorithm have to backtrack. Because we have removed columns and rows when we backtrack we have link again those removed rows and columns. This is what we are calling uncovering. Notice that the removed nodes still have pointers to their neighbors, so we can link them back again using these pointers. To uncover column we will perform covering operation but in reverse order –

x.left.right = x
x.right.left = x

Similarly to uncover any row node x –

x.up.down = x
x.down.up = x

Thus the pseudo code for uncover(node) will become –

Node column = dataNode.column; 

for( Node row = column.up ; row != column ; row = row.up ) 
    for( Node leftNode = row.left ; leftNode != row ;
         leftNode = leftNode.right ) { 
         leftNode.up.down = leftNode; 
         leftNode.down.up = leftNode; 
     } 
column.right.left = column; 
column.left.right = column; 
} 

Following is the implementation of dancing link technique – 

CPP




// C++ program for solving exact cover problem
// using DLX (Dancing Links) technique
 
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
 
#define MAX_ROW 100
#define MAX_COL 100
 
using namespace std;
 
struct Node
{
public:
    struct Node *left;
    struct Node *right;
    struct Node *up;
    struct Node *down;
    struct Node *column;
    int rowID;
    int colID;
    int nodeCount;
};
 
// Header node, contains pointer to the
// list header node of first column
struct Node *header = new Node();
 
// Matrix to contain nodes of linked mesh
struct Node Matrix[MAX_ROW][MAX_COL];
 
// Problem Matrix
bool ProbMat[MAX_ROW][MAX_COL];
 
// vector containing solutions
vector <struct Node*> solutions;
 
// Number of rows and columns in problem matrix
int nRow = 0,nCol = 0;
 
 
// Functions to get next index in any direction
// for given index (circular in nature)
int getRight(int i){return (i+1) % nCol; }
int getLeft(int i){return (i-1 < 0) ? nCol-1 : i-1 ; }
int getUp(int i){return (i-1 < 0) ? nRow : i-1 ; } 
int getDown(int i){return (i+1) % (nRow+1); }
 
// Create 4 way linked matrix of nodes
// called Toroidal due to resemblance to
// toroid
Node *createToridolMatrix()
{
    // One extra row for list header nodes
    // for each column
    for(int i = 0; i <= nRow; i++)
    {
        for(int j = 0; j < nCol; j++)
        {
            // If it's 1 in the problem matrix then
            // only create a node
            if(ProbMat[i][j])
            {
                int a, b;
 
                // If it's 1, other than 1 in 0th row
                // then count it as node of column
                // and increment node count in column header
                if(i) Matrix[0][j].nodeCount += 1;
 
                // Add pointer to column header for this
                // column node
                Matrix[i][j].column = &Matrix[0][j];
 
                // set row and column id of this node
                Matrix[i][j].rowID = i;
                Matrix[i][j].colID = j;
 
                // Link the node with neighbors
 
                // Left pointer
                a = i; b = j;
                do{ b = getLeft(b); } while(!ProbMat[a][b] && b != j);
                Matrix[i][j].left = &Matrix[i][b];
 
                // Right pointer
                a = i; b = j;
                do { b = getRight(b); } while(!ProbMat[a][b] && b != j);
                Matrix[i][j].right = &Matrix[i][b];
 
                // Up pointer
                a = i; b = j;
                do { a = getUp(a); } while(!ProbMat[a][b] && a != i);
                Matrix[i][j].up = &Matrix[a][j];
 
                // Down pointer
                a = i; b = j;
                do { a = getDown(a); } while(!ProbMat[a][b] && a != i);
                Matrix[i][j].down = &Matrix[a][j];
            }
        }
    }
 
    // link header right pointer to column
    // header of first column
    header->right = &Matrix[0][0];
 
    // link header left pointer to column
    // header of last column
    header->left = &Matrix[0][nCol-1];
 
    Matrix[0][0].left = header;
    Matrix[0][nCol-1].right = header;
    return header;
}
 
// Cover the given node completely
void cover(struct Node *targetNode)
{
    struct Node *row, *rightNode;
 
    // get the pointer to the header of column
    // to which this node belong
    struct Node *colNode = targetNode->column;
 
    // unlink column header from it's neighbors
    colNode->left->right = colNode->right;
    colNode->right->left = colNode->left;
 
    // Move down the column and remove each row
    // by traversing right
    for(row = colNode->down; row != colNode; row = row->down)
    {
        for(rightNode = row->right; rightNode != row;
            rightNode = rightNode->right)
        {
            rightNode->up->down = rightNode->down;
            rightNode->down->up = rightNode->up;
 
            // after unlinking row node, decrement the
            // node count in column header
            Matrix[0][rightNode->colID].nodeCount -= 1;
        }
    }
}
 
// Uncover the given node completely
void uncover(struct Node *targetNode)
{
    struct Node *rowNode, *leftNode;
 
    // get the pointer to the header of column
    // to which this node belong
    struct Node *colNode = targetNode->column;
 
    // Move down the column and link back
    // each row by traversing left
    for(rowNode = colNode->up; rowNode != colNode; rowNode = rowNode->up)
    {
        for(leftNode = rowNode->left; leftNode != rowNode;
            leftNode = leftNode->left)
        {
            leftNode->up->down = leftNode;
            leftNode->down->up = leftNode;
 
            // after linking row node, increment the
            // node count in column header
            Matrix[0][leftNode->colID].nodeCount += 1;
        }
    }
 
    // link the column header from it's neighbors
    colNode->left->right = colNode;
    colNode->right->left = colNode;
}
 
// Traverse column headers right and
// return the column having minimum
// node count
Node *getMinColumn()
{
    struct Node *h = header;
    struct Node *min_col = h->right;
    h = h->right->right;
    do
    {
        if(h->nodeCount < min_col->nodeCount)
        {
            min_col = h;
        }
        h = h->right;
    }while(h != header);
 
    return min_col;
}
 
 
void printSolutions()
{
    cout<<"Printing Solutions: ";
    vector<struct Node*>::iterator i;
 
    for(i = solutions.begin(); i!=solutions.end(); i++)
        cout<<(*i)->rowID<<" ";
    cout<<"\n";
}
 
// Search for exact covers
void search(int k)
{
    struct Node *rowNode;
    struct Node *rightNode;
    struct Node *leftNode;
    struct Node *column;
 
    // if no column left, then we must
    // have found the solution
    if(header->right == header)
    {
        printSolutions();
        return;
    }
 
    // choose column deterministically
    column = getMinColumn();
 
    // cover chosen column
    cover(column);
 
    for(rowNode = column->down; rowNode != column;
        rowNode = rowNode->down )
    {
        solutions.push_back(rowNode);
 
        for(rightNode = rowNode->right; rightNode != rowNode;
            rightNode = rightNode->right)
            cover(rightNode);
 
        // move to level k+1 (recursively)
        search(k+1);
 
        // if solution in not possible, backtrack (uncover)
        // and remove the selected row (set) from solution
        solutions.pop_back();
 
        column = rowNode->column;
        for(leftNode = rowNode->left; leftNode != rowNode;
            leftNode = leftNode->left)
            uncover(leftNode);
    }
 
    uncover(column);
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{   
    /*
     Example problem
 
     X = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7}
     set-1 = {1,4,7}
     set-2 = {1,4}
     set-3 = {4,5,7}
     set-4 = {3,5,6}
     set-5 = {2,3,6,7}
     set-6 = {2,7}
     set-7 = {1,4}
 
     Solutions : {6 ,4, 2} and {6, 4, 7}
    */
 
    nRow = 7;
    nCol = 7;
     
    // initialize the problem matrix
    // ( matrix of 0 and 1) with 0
    for(int i=0; i<=nRow; i++)
    {
        for(int j=0; j<nCol; j++)
        {
            // if it's row 0, it consist of column
            // headers. Initialize it with 1
            if(i == 0) ProbMat[i][j] = true;
            else ProbMat[i][j] = false;
        }
    }
 
    // Manually filling up 1's
    ProbMat[1][0] = true; ProbMat[1][3] = true;
    ProbMat[1][6] = true; ProbMat[2][0] = true;
    ProbMat[2][3] = true; ProbMat[3][3] = true;
    ProbMat[3][4] = true; ProbMat[3][6] = true;
    ProbMat[4][2] = true; ProbMat[4][4] = true;
    ProbMat[4][5] = true; ProbMat[5][1] = true;
    ProbMat[5][2] = true; ProbMat[5][5] = true;
    ProbMat[5][6] = true; ProbMat[6][1] = true;
    ProbMat[6][6] = true; ProbMat[7][0] = true;
    ProbMat[7][3] = true;
 
    // create 4-way linked matrix
    createToridolMatrix();
     
    search(0);
    return 0;
}


Output:

Printing Solutions: 6 4 2 
Printing Solutions: 6 4 7

The time complexity of the createToridolMatrix() function is O(n^2), where n is the number of rows and columns in the ProbMat array. This is because the function iterates through every element in the ProbMat array and creates a new node for each element that is equal to 1.

The space complexity of the createToridolMatrix() function is also O(n^2), since it creates a new node for each element in the ProbMat array that is equal to 1.

The time and space complexity of the remaining functions in the program depend on the specific implementation of the DLX algorithm and the specific problem being solved. However, in general, the time complexity of the DLX algorithm is exponential in the worst case, although it often performs much better in practice. The space complexity of the DLX algorithm is generally linear in the size of the input.

References



Last Updated : 10 Jan, 2023
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